No city in the world has sparked as many desires and fantasies as Venice. In the 18th century, its heady atmosphere of freedom produced an extraordinary cultural flowering. Famous artists like Vivaldi, Tiepolo father and son, Canaletto, Longhi, Guardi, Goldoni and Casanova hurled themselves into a giddy whirl of libertinage while leaving their stamp on the unique city. Then, in 1797, Venice surrendered to Napoleon Bonaparte. Carnival was over, and the masks came off. Venice: Flamboyant to the End transports us from canal to canal, palazzo to palazzo, bathing us in the magical atmosphere of this maze of a city and conjuring up the uniquely flamboyant Venice of the 18th century.