Venice is the world's famous island city in northern Italy. Founded in the 5th century, Venice became a major maritime power in the 10th century. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Venice was a major center for commerce and trade, and became an extremely wealthy European city, a leader in political and economic affairs. After several hundred years in power, Venice began to decline in the 15th century. Nowadays, it is regarded as one of the world's most beautiful cities and one of the most important tourist destinations in the world. Venice has a rich and diverse architectural style, the most famous of which is the Gothic style. Venice is also known for several important artistic movements in history, especially the Renaissance period. The influence of Venice on the development of architecture and arts has been considerable. Today, it is still playing an important role in contemporary arts and popular cultures. In 1987, Venice was listed as a World Heritage Site. In March 1980, Venice became a sister city of China's Suzhou City.