Venice is a miracle built on water. You likely picture romantic gondola rides, but the city is fighting for survival. It sits on millions of wooden stakes driven into the mud. Furthermore, it is slowly sinking into the lagoon every year. The streets are so narrow that you cannot ride a bike. Let’s explore the Floating City
Venice
Venice sits on millions of petrified wooden piles driven into the mud. Remarkably, this wood does not rot underwater because no oxygen exists there. Instead, the wood hardens like stone over the centuries to support the buildings.
You cannot drive a car or ride a bicycle within the historic center. The city is a completely pedestrian zone with narrow stairs on bridges. Therefore, boats serve as ambulances, police cars, and even hearses.
The government forced all glassmakers to move to the island of Murano in 1291. They did this to protect the wooden city from accidental fires. Furthermore, this isolation kept their valuable glass-blowing secrets safe from spies.
Feeding the pigeons in St. Mark’s Square is now completely illegal. The birds caused too much acidic damage to the historic mosaics and statues. As a result, the famous photos of bird-covered tourists are history.
Gondoliers must pass a grueling exam to get their license. They study Venetian history, foreign languages, and navigation skills for years. Consequently, the city issues only three or four new licenses annually.
The famous Bridge of Sighs has a rather dark history. Legend says prisoners sighed as they saw the beautiful city one last time. Thus, the bridge led convicts to their prison cells, not to a romantic date.
Venice is slowly sinking into the lagoon mud. Scientists estimate the city drops about two millimeters every single year. Therefore, high tides known as “Acqua Alta” flood the streets more frequently now.
The narrowest street in the city measures only 53 centimeters wide. You might get stuck if you walk through Calletta Varisco with a large backpack. Consequently, many tourists walk past the tiny entrance without noticing it.
Locals believe the beautiful Ca’ Dario palace is cursed. Almost every owner in history has died a tragic or violent death. Thus, many wealthy buyers refuse to purchase the building despite its beauty.
The city originally opened the first public casino in the world. It opened in 1638 to control gambling during the wild carnival season. Today, it still operates in a grand palace on the Grand Canal.
Austrian soldiers actually invented the famous Spritz cocktail. They found Italian wine too strong, so they added a splash of water. Eventually, locals added bitter liqueurs like Aperol to create the orange drink.
People wore masks to hide their social class and identity. This allowed servants and nobles to mingle and gamble together without judgment. However, Napoleon banned the festival and the masks when he conquered the city.
Venice actually consists of 118 different small islands. Amazingly, over 400 bridges connect these separate pieces of land together. You cross them constantly without realizing you are hopping between islands.
The local population is shrinking rapidly due to tourism. High costs and difficult logistics force many real residents to move to the mainland. Consequently, tourists often outnumber the actual citizens during the day.
Sirens warn the residents hours before a major flood hits the city. Shopkeepers place metal barriers in their doorways to stop the water. Then, people walk on raised wooden platforms to get to work.
