VENICE is the most
romantic city in the world.
Venice is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of
the Veneto region. It is sited on a group of 117 small islands that are
separated by canals and linked by bridges. These are located in the marshy Venetian
Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and
the Piave Rivers. Parts of Venice are renowned for the beauty of their
settings, their architecture, and artwork. The lagoon and a part of the city
are listed as a World Heritage Site. In 2009, 270,098 people resided in
Venice's comune (the population estimate of 272,000 inhabitants includes the
population of the whole Comune of Venezia; of whom around 60,000live in the
historic city of Venice (Centro storico); 176,000 in Terraferma (the mainland),
mostly in the large frazioni (roughly equivalent to "parishes" or
"wards" in other countries) of Mestre and Marghera; and 31,000 on
other islands in the lagoon). Together with Padua and Treviso, the city is included
in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area (PATREVE), with a total
population of 2,600,000. PATREVE is only a statistical metropolitan area
without any degree of autonomy.
The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who
inhabited the region by the 10th century BC. The city was historically the
capital of the Republic of Venice. 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".
The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the
Middle Ages and Renaissance, and a staging area for the Crusades and the Battle
of Lepanto, as well as a very important center of commerce (especially silk,
grain, and spice) and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th
century. This made Venice a wealthy city throughout most of its history.[5] It
is also known for its several important artistic movements, especially the
Renaissance period. After the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna, the
Republic was annexed by the Austrian Empire, until it became part of the
Kingdom of Italy in 1866, following a referendum held as a result of the Third
Italian War of Independence. Venice has played an important role in the history
of symphonic and operatic music, and it is the birthplace of Antonio Vivaldi.
Etymology
The name of the city, deriving from Latin forms Venetia and
Venetiae, is most likely taken from "Venetia et Histria", the Roman
name of Regio X of Roman Italy, but applied to the coastal part of the region
that remained under Roman Empire outside of Gothic, Lombard, and Frankish
control. The name Venetia, however, derives from the Roman name for the people
known as the Veneti, and called by the Greeks Eneti. The meaning of the word is
uncertain, although there are other Indo-European tribes with similar-sounding
names, such as the Celtic Veneti, Baltic Veneti, and the Slavic Wends.
Linguists suggest that the name is based on an Indo-European root *wen
("love"), so that *wenetoi would mean "beloved",
"lovable", or "friendly". A connection with the Latin word
venetus, meaning the color 'sea-blue', is also possible. Supposed connections
of Venetia with the Latin verb venire (to come), such as Marin Sanudo's veni
etiam ("Yet, I have come!"), the supposed cry of the first refugees
to the Venetian lagoon from the mainland, or even with venia
("forgiveness") are fanciful. The alternative obsolete form is
Vinegia [viˈnɛːdʒa];(Venetian: Venèxia [veˈnɛzja]; Latin: Venetiae; Slovene:
Benetke).
Geography
The whole pensolon (municipality) is divided into 6
boroughs. One of these (the historic city) is divided into six areas called
sestieri: Cannaregio, San Polo, Dorsoduro (including the Giudecca and Isola
Sacca Fisola), Santa Croce, San Marco (including San Giorgio Maggiore) and
Castello (including San Pietro di Castello and Sant'Elena). Each sestiere was
administered by a procurator and his staff. Nowadays each sestiere is a
statistic and historical area without any degree of autonomy. The six fingers or
flanges of the ferro on the bow of a gondola represent the six sestieri.
The sestieri are divided into parishes – initially 70 in
1033, but reduced under Napoleon and now numbering just 38. These parishes
predate the sestieri, which were created in about 1170.
Other islands of the Venetian Lagoon do not form part of any
of the sestieri, having historically enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomy.
Each sestiere 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.
Tourism
Venice is one of the most important tourist destinations in
the world for its celebrated art and architecture. The city has an average of
50,000 tourists a day (2007 estimate).In 2006, it was the world's 28th most
internationally visited city, with 2.927 million international arrivals that
year.It is regarded as one of the world's most beautiful cities.
Tourism has been a major sector of Venetian industry since
the 18th century, when it was a major center for the Grand Tour, with its
beautiful cityscape, uniqueness, and rich musical and artistic cultural
heritage. In the 19th century, it became a fashionable centre for the rich and
famous, often staying or dining at luxury establishments such as the Danieli
Hotel and the Caffè Florian. It continued being a fashionable city in vogue
right into the early 20th century. In the 1980s, the Carnival of Venice was
revived and the city has become a major centre of international conferences and
festivals, such as the prestigious Venice Biennale and the Venice Film
Festival, which attract visitors from all over the world for their theatrical,
cultural, cinematic, artistic, and musical productions
Today, there are numerous attractions in Venice, such as St
Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, and the Piazza San Marco. 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. The Cruise Venice Committee
has estimated that cruise ship passengers spend more than 150 million euros (US
$193 million) annually in the city.
However, Venice's popularity as a major worldwide tourist
destination has caused several problems, including the fact that the city can
be very overcrowded at some points of the year. It is regarded by some as a
tourist trap, and by others as a "living museum". Unlike most other
places in Western Europe, and the world, Venice has become widely known for its
element of elegant decay. The competition for foreigners to buy homes in Venice
has made prices rise so high that numerous inhabitants are forced to move to
more affordable areas of Veneto and Italy, the most notable being Mestre.
The need to balance cruise tourism revenues with the
protection of the city's fragile canals has seen the Italian Transport Ministry
attempt to introduce a ban on large cruise ships visiting the city. The ban
would only allow cruise ships smaller than 40,000-gross tons to enter Venice’s
Giudecca Canal and St Mark's basin. In January, a regional court scrapped the
ban, but global cruise lines indicated that they would continue to respect it
until a long-term solution for the protection of Venice is found. The city
considered a ban on wheeled suitcases, but settled on banning hard wheels for
cargo from May 2015.
Transportation
Venice is built on an archipelago of 117 islands formed by
177 canals in a shallow lagoon, connected by 409 bridges.[49] In the old
centre, the canals serve the function of roads, and almost every form of
transport is on water or on foot. In the 19th century, a causeway to the
mainland brought the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station to Venice, and the
Ponte della Libertà road causeway and parking facilities (in Tronchetto island
and in piazzale Roma) were built during the 20th century. Beyond the road and
rail land entrances at the northern edge of the city, transportation within the
city remains (as it was in centuries past) entirely on water or on foot. Venice
is Europe's largest urban car-free area. Venice is unique in Europe, in having
remained a sizable functioning city in the 21st century entirely without
motorcars or trucks.
The classical Venetian boat is the gondola, (plural:
gondole) although it is now mostly used for tourists, or for weddings,
funerals, or other ceremonies, or as 'traghetti' (sing.: traghetto) to cross
the Canale Grande in the absence of a nearby bridge. Many gondolas are lushly
appointed with crushed velvet seats and Persian rugs. Less well-known is the
smaller sandolo. At the front of each gondola that works in the city, there is
a large piece of metal called the fèro (iron). Its shape has evolved through
the centuries, as documented in many well-known paintings. Its form, topped by
a likeness of the Doge's hat, became gradually standardized, and was then fixed
by local law. It consists of six bars pointing forward representing the
Sestieri of the city, and one that points backward representing the Giudecca.
Education
Venice is a major international centre for higher education.
The city hosts the Ca' Foscari University of Venice, founded in 1868; the IUAV
University of Venice, founded in 1926; the Venice International University, an
international research center, founded in 1995 and located on the island of San
Servolo; and the EIUC-European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and
Democratisation, located on the island of Lido di Venezia.
Other Venetian institutions of higher education are: the
"Accademia di Belle Arti" (Academy of Fine Arts), established in
1750, whose first Chairman was Giovanni Battista Piazzetta; and the
"Benedetto Marcello" Conservatory of Music, which, established in
1876 as High School and Musical Society, later (1915) became "Liceo
Musicale" and finally (1940), when its Director was Gian Francesco
Malipiero, State Conservatory of Music.
Sport
The main football club in the city is FBC Unione Venezia,
founded in 1907, who currently plays in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione. Their
ground, the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo situated in Sant'Elena, is one of the oldest
venues in Italy.
The local basketball team, Reyer Venezia Mestre, plays in
the first national league, the Lega Basket Serie A.
Venice, alongside with Paris, is probably the most romantic
city in the world. Well, at least for those who are in love. But what is not
the opinion of a group, the very true fact about Venice is that Venice is
beautiful and charming any time of the year. It’s a place of a billion
interesting stories to tell. No matter if you were in Venice or if you are
planning to go there soon or sometimes in the future, here are some of Venice
facts and stories you’ll definitely find interesting.
Bridges of Venice
1.
Venice is known for its bridges. There are 417
bridges in Venice and 72 of those are private.
2.
Bridges in Venice usually don’t have steps on
them since up until 16th century many people were moving around on a horseback.
3.
Bridge of Sighs was built to connect the old
prison in Doge’s Palace with the new one across the river. One of the rare
people escaping this prison was famous lover Giacomo Casanova.
4.
According to Venetian tradition, the couple
riding in gondola should kiss under each bridge and they will stay in love
forever.
5.
There are 3 major bridges across the Grand Canal
– Accademia, Rialto and Scalzi. There is a fourth one, just a few years old.
What is interesting about that one is that it already begins to show signs of
decay, unlike the centuries old ones.
Rialto bridge. Photo
by: Lee & Chantelle McArthur
Streets of Venice
1.
Venice has one of the narrowest streets in the
world. Calletta, or Ramo Varisco street, is only 53 cm wide. Canals were the
main communication routes, that’s why main entrances in old buildings were
always on the canal side. They didn’t worry much about space between buildings
on land, that’s why Venetian streets are often narrow, sometimes weird and
without logic.
2.
It’s almost impossible to find an address in
Venice. Houses in Venice are numbered according to the districts, not the
streets. That is confusing even for a postmen there. The easiest way for
orientation is to look the proximity of some monument, shop or famous building.
Venice street. Photo
by: La Laetti
Gondolas of Venice
1.
One of the most recognizable symbols of Venice
are gondolas. Not everyone thinks about things like how they are made while
enjoying their ride, but that is actually an interesting story: each gondola is
made of eight different types of wood. Left side is bigger than the right one
for 24 centimeters (almost a feet), and the parts of gondolas are symbols of
some parts of Venice – front part represents six city zones, back part
represents island Guideka, and the central part represents famous Rialto
bridge.
2.
There are about 350 gondolas and 400 gondolieri
in the city of Venice.
3.
On average, gondola is 11 meters long and it
weights almost 600 kilos.
4.
Until recently, Venice didn’t have female
gondoliers. Venice got its first female gondolier in 2010.
Gondolas. Photo by:
Gary Bembridge
Carnivals and Masks of Venice
1.
During Carnival, laws prohibiting wearing of
expensive lace were suspended.
2.
Every year 18 million tourists visit Venice.
That’s, on average, around 50 thousand people per day. The peak time is during
the carnival with more than three million visitors.
3.
In 1608 Council of Ten approved wearing masks
only during the carnival. The ones who would broke the law were heavily
punished, from two years in prison to public beating and binding to the pillar
of shame.
4.
There are three types of masks: bauta, moretta i
larva. Bauta usually completely covers face, doesn’t have mouth hole and it has
a lot of gilt. Sometimes it covers only
upper parts of face so that you can talk, eat and drink, but it still hides the
identity. Moretta is oval mask in black velvet and was worn by women of all
social classes, usually during the visits to the monastery. Larva is usually
white and is worn with the hat and the cloak.
Masks. Photo by:
Salvatore Gerace
Acqua alta
1.
Acqua alta, or higher water, happens when tide
is 9 cm above normal height. It mostly happens as a result of an interaction
between Sirocco and tides (Sirocco is a warm wind blowing from north Africa).
2.
Acqua alta is a big problem to the Venetians,
but tourists usually find it interesting and picturesque.
3.
Venecia tries to fight back to the acqua alta.
There is a big engineering project called Mose that they hope will be the
solution of this issue. It is a system of big movable barriers able to lift up
when tides exceed a certain level. That will prevent water from flooding the
town.
Acqua Alta. Photo by:
Chris Chabot
Canals of Venice
1.
There are 177 canals in Venice.
2.
The S-shaped Grand Canal is the biggest canal in
Venice and it splits the city in two.
3.
There are over 170 buildings that make the line
of the Grand Canal.
4.
The canals were the main routes of communication
in Venice. That is why the main gates of the houses are always on a side of
canals.
Grand Canal. Photo
by: David McSpadden
Architecture of Venice
1.
There are over 450 palaces (palazzi) in Venice.
2.
Buildings and palaces in Venice are built in a
mixture of styles: Byzantine, Baroque, Gothic etc.
3.
There are about 7000 chimneys in Venice, built
in over 10 different styles and shapes.
4.
The famous San Marco bell tower, or campanile,
was built in the 12th century and collapsed in 1902. The tower was rebuilt to
be exactly the same as the previous one. It is 98,6 metres tall, which makes it
fifth tallest bell tower in Italy. Some say that the best view of Venice is
from the tower.
5.
There are millions of wooden piles under the
Venice lagoon.
6.
Venice was not built directly on the surface of
the islands, buildings are supported by wooden platforms.
7.
Pine wood piles were driven from the Alps.
8.
Venice is sinking at the rate of 1-2 millimeters
a year.
View from St Mark's
Campanile. Photo by: Matt Hintsa
Geography of Venice
1.
Venice is divided into six districts.
2.
There are 118 islands, 416 bridges, 177 canals
and 127 squares in Venice.
3.
The Venice lagoon is 15 meters deep at its
deepest point.
Venice. Photo by: Sergi
Gisbert
Depopulation of Venice
1.
Population of Venice decreased from over 120,000
to 60,000 in the last 50 years.
2.
Some experts say that Venice could be a ghost
town by 2030. It would be populated only by tourists that would come at the
morning and leave in the evening, something like people do in a theme park.
3.
The first great escape was in 1966 when serious
flood hit Venice.
4.
The progressive sinking of the town also makes
people move out.
5.
Acqua alta is interesting to tourists, but makes
Venetians move out from the town.
6.
Maintaining old houses is very expensive, and
it’s easier to some to move out than to stay in Venice.
People of Venice.
Photo by: John Heaven
History of Venice
1.
Venice is more than 1500 years old. It dates
back to the mid 400.
2.
The Republic of Venice was very powerful. It
held the biggest power during 1300s to 1500s.
Other Facts about Venice
1.
The sea/lagoon is safe for swimming.
2.
Around 66,000 people live in Venice, mostly
senior citizens.
3.
Water from drinking fountains is safe for
drinking.
4.
The first woman in the world that graduated was
born in Venice in 1646.
5.
The first public casino in the world was opened
in Venice in 1638.
6.
Feeding pigeons is not allowed in Venice.
Fun Facts about Venice
1.
Water from drinking fountains is safe for
drinking.
Photo by: wolfB1958
