In a historical period characterized by a wide accessibility to information which, however, often does not correspond to the ability to distinguish truth from fiction, the book represents a tool for a careful consideration on the past of the Venetia region, i.e. Venice itself. In fact, through the analysis of archaeological and iconographic data, as well as through readings of epigraphic, archival and literary documents, the book proposes an unexpected narrative of the lagoon, that seamlessly unravels over the centuries, from the archaic era to the early days of the Venetian Empire. Between truth and fiction, the Serenissima built itself in a lagoon already rich in practical knowledge and collective memories, offering a sort of historical stratigraphy that the reader can appreciate in all its unforeseen complexity.