It is probably impossible to find a commercial, public or residential property devoid of marble anywhere in Italy.
Even so, Venice is in a league of her own when it comes to the use of marble for construction and decoration purposes.
When I think of Venice I imagine the famous historic sites, the gondola, Venetian carnival, Murano glass, Casanova, traditional coffee houses, Amarone wine, and of course luxurious marble.
Intricate marble lace adorns floors of Venetian palazzos (most notably, Ca d'Oro, Palazzo Ducale and Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo) and the Basilica di St Marco.
Marble mosaic, tiles, panels and columns are key decorative elements in hotel lobbies and restaurants.
Marble floors and walls are a must in most public buildings and villas.
Renaissance stonemasons (financed largely by the Dodges and Venetian merchants) helped create an unforgettable image of Venice, the city of romance.
One of the most famous Renaissance stonemasons was Venetian Jacopo Bambagiani.
The famous Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio also started out as a stonemason.
Some of his legacy, Italian villas (La Rotonda being my favourite), can be found in the Veneto region.
It is estimated that up to one hundred different types of marble have been used in Venice, which is remarkable considering Venice's location and that most of it had to be supplied from far a field.
Marble came mainly from the Mediterranean region, with the famous Rosso Verona supplied by local quarries located in the vicinity of Verona.
Other popular types of marble of Italian origin found in Venetian properties include Bianco Carara, Statuario, Rosso Lepanto, Portoro, Botticino.
Statuario marble comes from the same region as Bianco Cararra, the Carrara region in Tuscany.
It is whiter and has fewer grey or black veins than Bianco Carrara.
Michelangelo used Statuario for his stonework, including his famous sculpture of David which is 500 hundred years old and can be seen in the Accademia Gallery, Florence.
For me, Rosso Lepanto and Portoro have a distinctive Venetian feel to them.
The sumptuous colour of the former and the chick black-and-yellow pattern of the latter are evocative attributes of la dolce vita.
The word marble originates from the Greek "marmor" which means "shining".
It is no surprise that marble was and is so popular in Venice, a city of romance, elegance, joie de vivre and light.