VeNice

11. Venice, Italy

Venice

 

 

 

 

Venice is a city in northeast Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. The city is included in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area with population 1,600,000.  The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century. The city historically was the capital of the Venetian Republic.

Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Luigi Barzini described it as "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man". Venice has also been described  as being one of Europe's most romantic cities.

The city stretches across 117 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the south and the north Rivers.

San Marco horses

Gondola Grand Canal

The High water

Rialto Bridge Grand Canal

The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wooden piles. Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The piles penetrate a softer layer of sand and mud until they reach a much harder layer of compressed clay. Most of these piles were made from trunks of alder trees^, a wood noted for its water resistance.

Piazza San Marco

San Giorgio Maggiore Island

The city is divided into six areas. These are Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro, Santa Groce, San Marco  and Castello . Each area was administered by a procurator and his staff. Each area has its own house numbering system. Each house has a unique number in the district, from one to several thousand, generally numbered from one corner of the area to another, but not usually in a readily understandable manner.

At the front of the Gondolas that work in the city there is a large piece of metal intended as a likeness of the Doge's hat. On this sit six notches pointing forwards and one pointing backwards. Each of these represent one of the area (the one that points backward represents the Giudecca).

Baroque Ca' Rezzonico

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bridge of Sighs

Venice is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world, due to the city being one of the world's greatest and most beautiful cities of art. There are numerous attractions in Venice, such as St Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, and the Piazza San Marco, to name a few. The Lido di Venezia is also a popular international luxury destination, attracting thousands of actors, critics, celebrities, and mainly people in the cinematic industry. The city also relies heavily on the cruise business.