▁facil itate ▁the ▁transport ▁of ▁goods . ▁ ▁The ▁Ven et ian ▁dom ination ▁of ▁M estre ▁ended ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 7 9 7 ▁with ▁the ▁occupation ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ven ice ▁by ▁Napoleon . ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 6 ▁M estre , ▁following ▁the ▁French ▁model , ▁constit uted ▁itself ▁into ▁a ▁free ▁municipality . ▁It ▁remained ▁so ▁under ▁the ▁subsequent ▁period ▁of ▁Aust rian ▁rule ▁( it ▁also ▁incorpor ated ▁Car p endo ▁e ▁Mar oc co ) ▁and ▁under ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Italy . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 3 ▁it ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁ ▁town . ▁Three ▁years ▁later ▁a ▁Royal ▁Dec ree ▁incorpor ated ▁M estre ▁and ▁some ▁other ▁neighbour ing ▁town ships ▁( Ch ir ign ago , ▁Zel ar ino ▁and ▁F av aro ▁Ven eto ) ▁to ▁the ▁comune ▁of ▁Ven ice . ▁ ▁Since ▁then ▁there ▁have ▁been ▁attempts ▁to ▁reg ain ▁aut onomy ▁in ▁four ▁refer enda ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁but ▁in ▁each ▁instance ▁the ▁proposal ▁for ▁separ ating ▁M estre ▁from ▁Ven ice ▁was ▁rejected . ▁Another ▁such ▁refer endum , ▁which ▁was ▁proposed ▁by ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Ven eto ▁region , ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁Even ▁though ▁ 6 6 % ▁of ▁the ▁vot ers ▁voted ▁for ▁the ▁separation ▁only