venice sinking city

The city of Venice spread across around 117 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea that is situated in the northeast Italy. The building in Venice is constructed of closely spaced wood piles that were imported from the mainland. The wood below the buildings are being petrified due to constant flow of mineral-rich water around and thus have become a strong stone like structure. Most of these piles are yet intact even after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. However, buildings there many a times get threatened by flood tides that come from the Adriatic Sea between autumn and early spring. Around six hundred years ago, Venetians protected themselves from land-based attacks by diverting all the major rivers flowing into the lagoon and thus prevented sediment from filling the area around the city. That created an ever-deeper lagoon environment for Venice. However, Venice is regularly sinking and there are many reasons that contribute to its sinking.

• It was in the 20th century, many artesian wells were sunk into the periphery of the lagoon to bring out the water for the need and requirement of the local industry and uses, and Venice started to subside. Then it was understood that extraction of the aquifer was the reason for sinking. The sinking process has slowed as the artesian wells were banned in the 1960s. Yet, city still lives under the threat of more frequent low-level floods that creep to a height of several centimeters over its quays, regularly following certain tides. In many old houses the former staircases employed by people to unload goods are now flooded, letting the ground floor still uninhabitable.

• Around 1604, to defray the cost of flood relief Venice introduced what could be considered the first example of a form of ’stamp tax’. When the revenue fell short of expectations in 1608 Venice introduced paper with the superscription ‘AQ’ and imprinted instructions that were used in letters to the officials. Though it was a normal tax yet remained in effect till the fall of Republic in 1797.

• When Venice was established in the year 421, the level of the Adriatic was about 5 meters below than what it is presently. For centuries the water level rose very slowly but the rate was comparatively faster in previous centuries. With every passing year, the difference between street level and water level shrinks faster. It is that city gets a rather a brief reprieve and comfort. It was in early 2005, the unusual weather pattern let Venice to experience to comparatively low tides. However, experiencing current trend it is expected that by 2055 a significant portion of the city’s walkways, plazas and ground level floors would be submerged in all the time.

• Another reason for sinking of Venice is periodic flooding, more importantly in the season of winter at high tide. This is something that residents accept as a fact happens around even hundred of times in a year. Because now sea level even rises at the modest flood level above the waterproof marble foundations of the buildings, damaging the less-robust building materials.

So in order to stop this sinking of the city of Venice in 1970, a plan was proposed to construct and install the large, mobile gates around the three inlets of the lagoon as to keep out high water. But for around 30 years, a series of unnecessary delays have hampered any progress to take place. And the engineering problems and arrangement of finances were the obvious reasons for the delay. However, at the same time political reasons also held up the development as it was even very hard for many Venetians to accept the fact that there cit is in danger Some were of the view to jack up the city and install new and improved foundations other wanted to make dikes and locks around the city—the so-called “Dutch solution” or any other ways for water to entering into the city.

Finally at the end of 2001, a plan finally arrived to conclusion as to keep back the high waters and was Nicknamed “Project Moses,.” The plan is based upon the construction of 79 steel gates, hinged at the bottom, to be installed along the sea floor at the three inlets to the lagoon. The gates, that are hollow and normally filled with water, measure 20 meters wide, 3.6 meters deep, and 20 to 30 meters high. When water seems to be raising high compressed air there can be compressed into the gates, letting the ends to float up to the surface creating a dynamic dam that will work only when they are needed to work for. Yet even the start of the project still there are many problems how the 3 billion euro would be funded for the project. There are also many significant problems related to environment as interference with normal tides will increase the levels of toxic chemicals such as mercury in the waters of Venice, seriously threatening both marine life and the health of people who consume the local fish.

Carnival of Venice

The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival that repetitively keeps on organizing in Venice, Italy every two weeks before the Ash Wednesday and commences on Shrove Tuesday, a day previously to Ash Wednesday. Carnival, there started at a time of celebration as a mean to hide identity between social classes. However, this centuries old culture and tradition of masks was revived by the Italian government in 1970 to revive the history and culture of Venice. Presently around occurrence of carnival, there 30,000 visitors come to Venice each and every day for Carnivals.

•    Venetian Carnival Masks: However, Masks there are considered as central stage and figure for the Venetian carnival. Generally, people were there allowed to have them for festival of Santo Stefano and the start of the carnival season and midnight of Shrove Tuesday. Generally masks are there too allowed to being covered on face during Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas. People there could spend out a large proportion of the year in disguise. Maskmakers (mascherari) in Italy has special place in society as they have their own laws and regulation and own guild. Venetian masks are made in leather as well as with the help of the original papier-mache technique. The original masks were rather simple in design and often had a symbolic and practical function. Presently, these all are made with application of gesso and gold leaf and all other hand painted natural feathers and gems to be decorated.

•    The Mask-Makers: The mascherari or mask-makers as they are known in history are gone farthest back in history to 14th century. They were happened to be fringe of painters who were assisted in their work by sign painters who uses to draw faces onto plaster in a range of different shapes giving extreme caution to attention and detail.  However, history of Mask Makers more relates it to protecting the identity of its wearer during immoral activities. These masks were made in Venice, for centuries and were formed from papier-mache and then were used to be decorated from papier-mache, fur, fabric, gems and ribbons.

The evolution of these masks goes back to Venetian period where there existed a period and climate of cultural and religious repression during the medieval ages in Italy People wore those masks as to liberate them from judging and curious neighbors where they were all had to get recognized and got into touch with each other. The gentry classes and peasants alike sought anonymity for promiscuity, gambling, and other indiscretions. Even the clergy were known to dress up to go dancing.

After the 1100s, the masquerade went through periods of being outlawed by the Catholic Church, and they were strictly prohibited during holy days. However Church allowed wearing the masks during the months between Christmas and Shrove Tuesday free for Venetian mask-attired decadence. And this freedom to wear masks developed into the celebration of Carnival.

•    Modern Celebration of Masks: However, at the modern time the art of making masks has developed into the formation of art and craft of creating Venetian masks. This traditional method has gone into sculpting a form out of clay as a base for the mask. Masks are mostly have been made from papier-mâché that is a sticky paste made of strips and glue. This plaster material is thus on is layered over the base, there is dried and then gets removed to create out the basic mask. However the beauty of the masks remains in the fact that there craftsperson paints designs in gold, silver, royal purple, sunny yellow, and other bright colors. Other decorations includes the sequins, silk ribbons, exotic ird feathers, faux fur, rhinestones, leather, gold charms, glitter, and any other outlandish trinkets. The Carnival Masks on the basis of designs and pattern used in them are found in three categories.

• Bauta: Under this mask the entire face remains covered with a stubborn chin line, no mouth, and lots of gilding”. One can even get these masks sold as Bautas that entirely covers the upper portion of the face ranging from the forehead to the nose and upper cheeks, thereby concealing identity but enabling the wearer to talk and eat or drink easily. This is a primary type of mask that is worn at and during Carnival.  It is also used as on other occasions as a device for concealing a wearer’s identity and social status.

•    Moretta: It is an oval shaped mask of black velvet that is generally is worn by women visiting convents. It was invented in France and soon became popular in Venice as it brings out the beauty of feminine features.

•    Volto or Larva: The “Volto” was the more common mask used in Venice for centuries. Volto means “face” to design that is was the most common, simplest mask.

Magnificent mansions decorated with gothic arches and carved stone balconies facing toward the Grand Canal this is all that can be sum up for landmarks in Venice to roam and understand Italian beauty. As to know more about Venice have a brief of some major landmarks of Venice.

•   Accademia: It is a museum gallery of pre-19th century art in Venice. It is located on the south bank of the Grand Canal The name Accademia has also been given to three bridges across the canal, the Ponte dell’ Accademia and the boat landing station for the vaporette water bus. It was initially was started as an art school.

•   Arsenal: The Venetian Arsenal, the place was used as a shipyard for many state owned shipyards and armories and a naval depot for munitions and storage facilities as they were clustered together in Venice. It was considered as the largest industrial complex in Europe before Industrial Revolution and expanded around in 45 ha or fifteen percent of Venice. By the means of its ship building activity the Arsenal produced Venice’s maritime trading vessels that a time used to generate much of city’s economic wealth and power that lasted till the fall of republic to Napoleon in 1797.

Arsenal

•  Bridge of Sighs: This enclosed bridge made of white limestone has widows with stone bars. It passes over the Rio di Palazzo and was used for carrying prisoners to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace. The bridge was designed by Antoni Contino and was constructed in 1602. The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment that is the reason the Bridge is named for so by Lord Byron in the 19th century. According to local legend lovers gets everlasting love and bliss if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the bridge.

Bridge of Sighs

•   Ca’ d’Oro: It is considered as one of the most beautiful squares on the Grand Canal in Venice.  It was constructed between 1428 and 1430 for the Contarini family that provided Venice with eight Doges in between from 1043 to 1676. It was developed by Giovanni Bon and his son Bartolomeo Bon. The entire structure is made in Venetian floral gothic style. After the downfall of Venetian Republic in 1797 the palazzo changed its ownership several times.  In 1922 the palazzo was throne to the State by its last owner and saviour Baron Giorgio Franchetti who had acquired it in 1894. Presently it is open to the public as a gallery.

•   Ca’ Pesaro: It is a baroque marble palace with its front towards the Grand Canal of Venice. It was designed by Baldassarre Longhena in mid-17th century and its construction was completed by Gian Antonio Gaspari in 1710. In it heavy use of columns in contrasts with Longhena’s more elegant Ca’ Rezzonico Palace is employed and used.  Today it is Venice museum of Modern Art and contains paintings and works by Klimt, Bonnard, Chagall, Kandinsky, Klee, Rouault, Matisse, Moore, Morandi, De Chirico, Boccioni and others. However its upper floor is devoted to the Museo d’ Arte Orientale and contains nearly 30,000 artifacts from Japan, Indonesia and Japan.

ca pesaro

•   Ca’ Rezzonico: It is a palazzo on the Grand Canal in Venice and presently is used as museum devoted to 18th century Venice. It is situated on the right bank of the canal.

•   Ca’ Vendramin Calergi: It is a palazzo on the Grand Canal in Venice and was also popular with other names too like Palazzo Vendramin Calergi, Palazzo Loredan Vendramin Calergi, and Palazzo Loredan Griman Calergi Vendramin. It is known as the residence of many promising personalities through out the history.  Presently it is home to Venice Casino (Casinò di Venezia) and the Wagner Museum (Museo Wagner).

•   Canal Grande: The Grand Canal is a canal in Venice. It works as a major water traffic corridor in the city. In it Public transport is provided by water buses and private water taxis and many tourist love sale through it in gondola. The one end the canal leads into the lagoon near Santa Lucia railway station and the other end connect it into Saint Mark Basin. It is a 3,800 m long, 30-90 m wide, with an average depth of five meters (16.5ft).

canal grande

•  Doge’s Palace: It is a gothic style palace in Venice that was residence of the Doge of Venice. Its two fronts look at the Venetian Lagoon and St Mark’s Square or rather the Piazzetta. Its present palace was constructed during the period from 1309 to 1324 and was designed by Filippo Calenadario.  Now building is preserved as a museum with paintings from Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese that states grandeur of Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese and others.

•  Rialto Bridge: The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges across the Grand Canal in Venice and is the oldest bridge across the canal. The first dry crossing of the Grand Canal was a pontoon bridge built in 1181 by Nicolò Barattieri.

rial to bridge venice

Some other important Landmarks of Venice are San Giorgio Maggiore, St. Mark, Santa Maria della Salute, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Santi Giovanni e Paolo.

Venice is the capital city of Veneto with a population of two hundred and seventy thousand inhabitants. Popularly know as Gondola or the magnetic hub for poets, lovers, sweethearts and artists, the city of Venice is situated in the north-east side of Italy and stretches across numerous petite islands belonging to the Venetian Lagoon. The city’s main mode of transport is along a network of over one hundred and fifty canals. For those who will opt to explore this gorgeous city on foot, there are more than four hundred bridges that connect you to numerous streets and canals within Venice. Venice is considered to be the most exquisite and well preserved cities world wide, it is unique because it is the only city in the world which is built on water. Venice city is the most tranquil place you can find with a serene atmosphere.
Central Venice is divided into administrative districts, three located on each side of the Grand Canal. Venice is a City that lures not only new residents and guests but also metropolitan planners, who visit the city to see the outcome of 1920’s John Nolen urban. Today, Venice is popular because of its affable small-town feel, its attractive colossal live oaks shaded boulevards that stretch to the beckoning beaches and its pretty shopping center of low-rise structures that are designed in Mediterranean style.  The beaches at Venice and Casperson have a huge collection of prehistoric shark’s teeth. Apart from having lovely beaches, Venice has many art galleries, zoos and attractive sites. The Scuola Grande di San Rocco building with big white marble on the portico is one among the many stunning attractions in Venice.
This building is fairly impressive on the outside, and plainly spectacular on the inside. The inside of the building is wealthily decorated by Tintoretto, one of the world’s most renowned artists who spent over 23 years of his life garnishing the school. The Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo square features many Venice attractions such as the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo founded in the 1246 by Dominicans.  Venice is also one of the largest producers of glass in Europe. This city certainly has a lot to explore; if you are looking for a place with the most beautiful scenes where you can relax and enjoy nature, Venice is the ideal place for you. Find more information on Venice attractions, hotels and travel information from the shortstay.com website.