1950s Venice
History and Culture of The Floating City
The history of Venice, Italy can be traced back all the way to 400 A.D. The locals claimed that Venice was founded on March 25, 421 A.D. The legend also claimed the city was founded right at noon. The founding of Venice came with the collapse of the Roman Empire. People had historically lived in the mainland of Italy. When the Roman Empire collapsed it caused people to flee from their homes. People settled in the Venetian Lagoon believing it was a safe place to escape from their enemies. When their enemies had passed many people did decide to return to their previous homes in the mainland. Around 450 A.D. a strong enemy force arrived that caused many people to decide it was no longer safe to live in the mainland of Italy, this is what influenced the population of Venice to dramatically increase because the location was close to the sea making it a great place for escaping from enemy forces. These forces did not have the resources to locate Venice due to the fact that they did not have any knowledge about the sea, making the Venice Lagoon location perfect for refugees (History). Over the history of Venice, the location on water has been a huge asset for keeping the city safe. Many different invaders have not been able to reach Venice (Dhwty).
One of the most popular nicknames for Venice is “floating city”. This nickname comes from the fact that Venice is actually over a hundred islands. The small islands that make up Venice are joined by many canals and bridges. This is where the nickname “floating city” comes from. The canals give the appearance that the city is floating (Dhwty). While the canals add beauty and protection to the city there is one large disadvantage. The city has been known to flood. Aqua Alta is the name used to refer to the floods. Aqua Alta means high water. The people of Venice are very used to the city flooding. Water rises and floods the city more than a dozen times a year on average (Dhwty).
The city of Venice is on uneven ground. If buildings were built on the uneven ground, they would not have lasted. The people of Venice decided to build on top of wooden platforms. First, they drove wooden stakes into the sandy ground. They then built wood platforms over the stakes. This process allowed them to have their buildings on a solid base. Over the years many have been surprised that they choose to use wood as their base because it is not as solid as other materials. The wood does not decay because it is under water. The bacteria that would decay the wood over time needs oxygen to survive. With no oxygen under water the bacteria cannot survive and is unable to decay the wood. Also, the salt water helps turn the wood into a harder material. This shows the innovation of people of Venice. This solution helped them build a city that will last for centuries (Dhwty).
Works Cited
Dhwty. “The Construction of Venice, the Floating City.” Ancient Origins. Ancient Origins, 13 June 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2017. < http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places- europe/construction-venice-floating-city-001750>.
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