How Venice was built

Venice is one of the most beautiful and most visited cities in the world. Much of this attraction, in addition to the impressive monuments that can be visited, lies in the fact that it is built with hardly any streets, being replaced by water channels that connect the various islands that make up and each of the buildings raised about them.

However, although it may seem simple, the construction of Venice was a real challenge for the architecture of his time and, in fact, poses serious problems when it comes to surviving conflicts that may have to face in the future. One of these problems, and perhaps the most worrisome, is the unbalanced rise in sea level as a consequence of climate change. If you want to know a little more about this city, as well as discover how Venice was built, do not miss the article that we bring you next in.

When Venice was built

Venice is located in the lagoon of the same name that is north of the Adriatic Sea. Its most particular characteristic is that it is a completely pedestrian city, with gondolas and vaporettos being the only means of transport that allow travel through the canals that run throughout the city. Venice began to build from the fifth century and, at first, was part of the Eastern Roman Empire. Its location was not accidental, but an archipelago of islands located in the Lagoon Venice was chosen to locate its construction in order to protect itself from the attacks of the Germanic peoples.

In the beginning, as you can imagine, the city lacked the monumental aspect it has today. However, after the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, the city became a city-state and specialized, thanks to its particular geographical location, in trade between Europe and Asia. This served to amass large amounts of money and wealth and start its period of greatest splendor, something that allowed to begin the construction of the city of Venice as we know it today.

Although during long periods of the history Venice was under the mandate of Austria and France, finally, in the year 1866 it would be incorporated to the modern state of Italy, where at the moment it constitutes the capital of the region of Veneto.

How Venice was built

Although Venice seems to be built directly on the water, the reality is that the city is built on a primitive atoll that formed an archipelago of 118 islands joined together by more than 450 bridges. In this way, although the aspect is that of a floating city, it is actually built on land. What happens is that it is erected on an archipelago with very particular geographical characteristics that, together with the saturation of buildings in the area, endows the city with its current aspect.

For the construction of Venice, the different materials had to be transported by ship from the mainland. However, once the city was growing, it began to produce and develop its own industries and economic activities, mainly focused on the trade between East and West. A good example of the prosperity of these industries is found in the island of Murano, an island that is part of the archipelago of the lagoon of Venice and is known worldwide for its crystal, protagonist of authentic pieces of art.

What dangers Venice faces

Keep in mind that the particular location of Venice, although it played in his favor in the past to protect it from barbarian invasions, could also become its greatest danger. At present, the rise in sea level could get to submerge Venice underwater in less than 50 years. However, there are different projects to prevent this from happening, although the cost that would have to be faced is very high.

An example of these projects that are being undertaken to protect the city is the MOSE System (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico). This project is focused on protecting both the city and the lagoon of high tides, although it could also have applications in the case of a sudden rise in sea level as a result of climate change. The MOSE System foresees the construction of up to 78 tilting doors that, according to the needs and the forecast of the tides, would allow to close the passage of the water of the Adriatic Sea to the interior of the lagoon. When the tide descended, these floodgates would reopen, allowing the normal circulation of marine currents.

Since, we hope we have helped you to find out how Venice was built and to learn a little more about the history of this city. If this information has been useful for you and you want to continue training, do not miss the following articles: