Venice

Venice, a city in Italy, is the capital of the Veneto region, which is in the north-east of the country. The population of the 'Comune di Venezia', which is Venice, its lagoon and its mainland is 271,367. It has an area of 412 km². The population of Venice itself is decreasing ant a rapid rate and is now under 55,000 locals.

Venice is built on 118 small islands that are separated by 150 canals and connected by small bridges.They can also navigate across the city on boats, both rowing boats and motor boats. The most famous Venetian type of boat is called a gondola. Venice’s old architecture and its canals make it a popular tourist destination. The most famous sights are the Rialto Bridge, St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace.
It is important to remember that Venice is much more than few landmarks and that we owe the city a lot: from words to objects or services of our daily life. Its lifestyle and culture are unique in the world and it can get confusing at first.

There are several problems in Venice, but it is still the most popular tourist attraction in northeast Italy. Venice now has about as many beds for visitors as for inhabitants: about 49,000 each.  Every year the city sinks a few millimeters because the ground is made from mud. Eventually, the city might be completely underwater, but that would take decades. Because of this, the Italian government is building the MOSE Project, a state-of-the-art defense against the sea-water flooding, that will safely protect Venice indefinitely.

History
The city was founded by people from the greater Veneto region as a refuge from the Barbarian invasions, when the Western Roman Empire fell. During the Middle Ages, Venice slowly grew to become an important commercial city. Around the year 1000 AD the Republic of Venice started to create an empire in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It lasted until 1797, when it was annexed by Napoleon's France. It then changed hands a few times, becoming a part of Austria two times, before becoming part of Italy during the Italian unification. Venice deeply influenced the Venetian, Istrian and Dalmatian coasts for one thousand years.

Venice started to lose population after its conquest by Napoleon, but with the unification of Italy the city returned to be an important city. It is one of the most visited places on Earth by tourists from all around the globe.

 Urban Layout 
The 150 canals in the city, which add up to an overall length of 45 kilometers. The Grand Canal is the main canal in the city, with on its own having a length of 3 kilometers. it has a width at most of 70 meters and at least 30 meters. there are 3 major bends in the Grand Canal. 

 Rialto Bridge 
The Rialto Bridge is a bridge that spans the Grand Canal. It is located on the third bend of the Grand Canal.  There was once a high ground which was named "Rivo Alto", which means "High Shore" or "High Bank." the name Rialto is derived from this, and it is its own island in the center of Venice. 

Several markets moved to Rialto, and to make way for this, a pontoon bridge (boat bridge) was built in 1181. Increased foot traffic meant that a real bridge was required, so in 1255 a wooden bridge was built. It had two ramps that met at a centre, that was movable to let boats and ships pass by.

The wooden bridge needed constant fixing. In 1310, it was partially burnt during a revolt. In 1444, it collapsed under the weight of a horde of people rushing to see the wedding of Marquis of Ferrara. It collapsed again in 1524.

The idea of building the bridge in stone was discussed from 1503 onwards, and several designs were considered in the next decades. Some famous people who gave designs were Jacopo Sansovino, Palladio, and Vignola, but all designs included features of Classical Architecture, which was judged inappropriate for the placing.

Antonio da Ponte submitted a design, and it was judged suitable to build. It is a single span stone bridge, similar to the wooden bridges, as it has two ramps that lead to a center. The ramps carry rows of shops. It is now today an architectural icon, however, back when it was built, people considered it audacious.

Tourism

There are many methods of transport. One is the vaporetto, a water bus. Taxi boats can also be used to move around the city and its lagoon. The Grand Canal is long and can be crossed only on a few bridges. A simple way to cross it is to take one of the traghetti (ferries). 

Usually, the warmest month is July and the coolest month is January. The maximum average precipitation occurs in November. The season of the acqua alta, high waters, are generally November to February. During the acqua alta season, the city can be partially flooded for a couple of hours on certain days.

Venice has crafts, culture, and tradition. Common handmade goods include Murano glass jewels and masks. Mass tourism, however, has led to many shops selling low-quality souvenirs. Social enterprises have arisen to sell certified authentic Venetian goods.

Bibliography
 John Rigby Hale. Renaissance Venice (1974) ()
 Lane, Frederic Chapin. ''Venice: Maritime

Related pages
 Venice and Dalmatia

References

 Other websites 

 Encyclopedia about Venice 
 A Website about life and travel in Venice