Venice
Last Updated: Jun. 09, 2010
The most romantic of all the Italian cities, today it is one of the most visited regions of Italy, and for good reason.
For centuries the very nature of Venice Has inspired poets, writers and artists, has been the staging ground for explorers, and more recently, has featured in almost too many movies to count (The Italian Job, Casanova, Casino Royale, to name but a few) The fame, aura, mystique and simply unique status and reputation the city enjoys has also inspired a multi-billion dollar casino in Las Vegas but no amount of money can even come close to capturing the magic of ‘the sinking city’.
The soft, marshy ground that Venice is built on today was established in the 9th century by a tribe after whom the city is names who moved from the mainland to the soft, marshy land that the main island of Venice is now built upon. They quickly built a vast, rich and powerful empire spanning the Adriatic even as far as the southern regions of Greece, where you can still see the remnants of old Venetian fortresses.
The weight of the city on the soft ground combined with its age and the constant attack of high tides and shipping have cause the city to sink into the ocean. The frequency of floods has increased steadily this century to the point where major steps are being taken to try and alleviate the problem. The main square however still floods over 200 times a year and Venice is still sinking…….
Add a Comment Comments (4)
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i sadly broke my leg in venice so didnt get to finsih my tour the camp in fusina was the best place to break it the camp reps there were the best help they came and seen me in hostipal daily to check up but from what i seen of venice i loved it loved how quiet it was with no traffic rushing everywhere… what an trip
dellalea3355
posted on Oct. 11, 2008
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Venice is breathtaking, so beautiful =] take the time, explore the small backstreets, see the students painting on the bridges, visit the glass factory and St Mark’s Basilica. Experience St. Mark’s Square flooding daily! Be careful of the pidgeons, our tour guide warned us they have diseases! lol
AussieTraveller
posted on Apr. 24, 2008
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One of the most amazing places in the world! Best thing to do – GET LOST! take the back alleys, wonder around, visit with some locals, everything in this city is gorgeous!
Steftacular
posted on Nov. 27, 2007
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Probably one of the weirdest things about Venice….All the pigeons! You can actually buy a bag of bird feed and before you even open the bag, you will be covered with pigeons from head to toe!
BigVicSlick
posted on Oct. 19, 2007
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