Mestre is a city part of the comune of Venice, in Veneto, northern Italy. The city is connected to Venice by a large rail and road bridge, called Ponte della Libertà (Freedom Bridge).
Municipalità di Mestre-Carpenedo, also known as Mestre centro, one of the six boroughs of Venice's commune, includes 90.000 inhabitants (only Mestre, also known as ex quartiere 10 Mestre centro, includes 50.000 inhabitants).
The mainland (boroughs of Mestre-Carpenedo, Marghera, Chirignago-Zelarino, Favaro Veneto) of Venice's comune includes 170.000 inhabitants (the historic part of Venice includes only 60.000 inhabitants piu' 30.000 delle isole maggiori per un totale di 90.000 abitanti).
Mestre is the largest city in Italy that hasn't the status of autonomous comune.
History:
According to legend, Mestre was founded by Mesthles, a companion of the hero Antenor, a fugitive from Troy who founded Padua. The true origins of the city are uncertain, although it is known that a Roman oppidum (fortress) existed here, though this was destroyed by Attila and probably rebuilt in the 10th century.
The first historical mention is from an Imperial diploma by Otto III, by which Rambald, count of Treviso, received land in the area named Mestre. In 1152 a papal bull by Pope Eugene III recognized the bishop of Treviso as lord of Mestre, citing the existence of the church of St. Lawrence, a castle and a port. In 1257 the bishops ceded it to Alberico da Romano, podestat of Treviso.
The port benefited from the economic growth of Venice, constituting its main connection to the Italian mainland. In 1274 a fire destroyed the castle, and the inhabitants moved to a location nearby, Castelnuovo (new Castle). No traces remain today of the old castle.
The Scaliger family from Verona conquered Mestre and Treviso in 1323. The Venetians, fearing the excessive Veronese power in the mainland, conquered on September 29, 1337. An artificial channel was built to facilitate the transport of goods.
The Venetian domination ended on July 16, 1797. In 1808 Mestre, following the French practice, constituted itself into a free commune. It remained such under the subsequent Austrian and Italian rules, receiving the title of city in 1923. Three years later, however, a Royal Decree annexed Mestre and some other neighbouring comuni (Chirignago, Zelarino and Favaro Veneto) to the comune of Venezia.
In the 1960s and 1970s Mestre experienced a huge demographic growth, spurred mainly by the construction of a huge industrial district in the nearby town of Marghera. Mestre is now a preferred checkpoint for tourists visiting Venice.
Main sights:
Cathedral of St. Lawrence (17th century)
Palazzo da Re
Torre dell'Orologio (Watchtower, 1108)
Palazzo podestarile
