The Fredericksburg Este Association nurtures friendship and cultural understanding between Fredericksburg and its sister city, Este, Italy, through exchanges,
programs and events.

The Fredericksburg-Este Association offered a free lecture on “Piazza San Marco, Venice’s Stage: Building Power, Facing Peril” on Friday, October 17, at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 905 Princess Anne Street.

Piazza San Marco, also known as St. Mark’s Square, is often referred to as the “drawing room of Europe” or the “living room of Venice” because of its role as a central gathering place and a hub of social activity in the city.

Julia DeLancey, an art history professor at the University of Mary Washington, discussed Piazza San Marco as a Renaissance public space, exploring just a few of the ways Venetians—those in power and those who were not—utilized the space for political and social expression. And today, there are threats to the piazza’s survival, from overtourism to climate change.

DeLancey earned her BA in History of Art with honors from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Her research focuses on the history of visual culture in 16th century Venice and Florence.