1. Venice is made up of islands
Venice was built on a group of 118 small islands that were separated by canals and that lie in the middle of a marshy lagoon ( the Venetian Lagoon ) that opens out into the Adriatic Sea .
The interesting thing about the formation of Venice is that several of these islets were created through human ingenuity. The ingenious idea was to expand the portions of land through earthing, that is, placing land over the water and uniting the pieces of land that were separated by the sea. That’s why the city has so many canals and is connected by bridges.
And about grounding, is it not to be believed that even today the wooden pillars that were planted in the small pieces of land are intact after so many years? The ingenious structure is what sustains the island of Venice to this day.
Brief summary: the wooden trunks were stuck in the compacted clay and with this junction the trunks were like stones and well sustainable. And since there is no contact with atmospheric air, the wood does not decompose.
2. There are more than 150 channels and 400 bridges
World-famous for its canals that serve as streets in a car-free city, Venice has no less than 177 canals and over 400 bridges.
The largest and most important canal in Venice is the Grand Canal (Grand Canal), which cuts through much of the city and is one of the main routes for the transit of water boats and gondolas.
There are four bridges that cross the Grand Canal, the Academia Bridge , the Barefoot Bridge and the Constitution Bridge . And there is the Rialto Bridge , which is the oldest of all, one of the main ones, the one with the most history and still has beautiful architecture.
And did you know that the Rialto Bridge was partially burnt, it already fell because it was crowded with people, then it was rebuilt and fell again, and finally, it was built with rocks to withstand the crowds of people who pass through it every day ? With so much history, it is the darling of tourists and is one of the postcards of Venice.
And taking advantage of the subject, in Holland there is a city that seems to have come out of a fairy tale that is known as the “ Dutch Venice ”, its name is Giethoorn . The village became famous for the fact that it has no streets and, like Venice, is surrounded by canals and connected by small charming bridges.
3. The symbol of the city is the lion
The flag of the Republic of Venice, also known as the ” Flag of San Marco “, has as its symbol one of the bravest animals and strongest of beasts, a lion,
The lion symbol has a very interesting story that I won’t go into too much detail since it involves religion (I’m not a good connoisseur of the subject). Just to summarize, he is considered to represent protection and peace, and represents the evangelist Saint Mark in a symbolic way. Furthermore, the main symbol of Venice represents a people and not the city itself.
And out of curiosity, the body of St. Mark is kept inside the Basilica of St. Mark and in St. Mark’s Square there is a bronze lion that stands on a column in front of the Ducal Palace.
4. Acqua Alta is a reason to set everything high
An interesting phenomenon that frightens the tourist who goes to Venice for the first time and that torments the locals is the famous “acqua alta”, which is a high tide that floods some parts of the city .
Due to the unfavorable location in case of climate change and with one more hint of man’s contribution to changing what nature has created, what happens is that as it is surrounded by the sea, at certain times of the year the strong wind blows towards Venice , bringing a high tide to the lower parts of the city.
As a result, some parts of Venice are flooded by high tide for a few hours and in more severe cases, the tide can flood over 70% of the city.
High tide occurs more frequently in the autumn and winter months (usually between November and December) and according to other sources, the frequency of acqua alta is increasing more and more over the years. The frequency went from less than 10 times a year to more than 60 times a year.
And if you like books, in Venice there is a very exotic bookshop that receives the same name due to its super different decoration. This attraction is Libreria Acqua Alta , which is among one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world and has become a tourist spot in Venice. I went to meet her and I was delighted.
5. Millions of tourists per year
And the fame of one of the most important cities in the world for its art and architecture ends up attracting thousands of tourists every day, whether in high season (summer) or low season (winter).
The curious fact is that the number of tourists is almost equal to the number of inhabitants. The city is home to more than 55,000 residents and holds more than 50,000 tourists a day. With so many tourists, it’s no wonder that Venice is one of the cities most affected by mass tourism .
This mass tourism is what makes Venice an expensive city. Many restaurants in the most touristic part of the city charge abusive prices for the visitor to experience the delights of Italian cuisine. Look at the number of tourists in the middle of winter.
6. The famous Venetian Carnival
Venice still has its famous Carnival, one of the oldest and most traditional in the world. The Venetian Carnival is a party where people wear masks and take to the streets to revel, remembering the ancient Italian nobility .
Carnival in Venice emerged in the mid-16th century. At the time, the nobility wore masks to disguise themselves and mix with the common people.
With tradition, the use of masks (white, silver and gold) became one of the most important elements of the Venice Carnival, which in the past lasted 6 months, but which was abolished by Napoleon.
In 1979 the party returned, but the duration was shortened and today the carnival lasts 10 days and attracts thousands of tourists who take to the streets disguised in characteristic costumes from the 18th century and wonderful masks that have been gaining new colors over the years.