31/03/2019
Venice, The floating city
I have visited the wonderful floating city of Venice recently and it was a marvelous experience, one of the most extraordinary cities in the world. The city was built on 118 islands in the middle of the Venetian Lagoon at the head of the Adriatic Sea in Northern Italy.
It seems impossible for such a grand city to float in a lagoon of water, reeds and marshland. How Venice was built is a fascinating story when the new settlers arrived on the islands around 402 A.D, they needed more space and a stronger foundation to live on. They had to find ways to strengthen the islands, drain them, enlarge them and protect the fragile environment. So, they dug hundreds of canals and shored up the banks with wood pilings. They also used similar wood pilings as foundations for their buildings. The settlers pounded thousands of wooden piles into the mud, so close together that they were touching. Then, they cut off the tops and created solid platforms for the foundations of their homes. Because the wood was underwater, it didn’t rot. It’s hard to believe, but there are many buildings in Venice today that are still standing on 1000 year old piles of wood!
Some people say Venice should be called the sinking city rather than the floating city. But, Venice began sinking the moment it was built. From the beginning, the weight of the city pushed down on the dirt and mud that it was built on, squeezing the water out and compacting the soil. This phenomenon, with the natural movement of high tides cause periodic flooding in the city, creating a sinking sensation. Over the past 100 years, the city has sunk nine inches. Some experts warn that global warming will cause sea levels to rise and eventually cover the Adriatic coastline and the city of Venice by 2100.
