Known as the "Queen of the Adriatic Sea", Venice is the most romantic destination for honeymooners, couples, and anyone who has ever been fascinated by its magical streets and canals. Considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice, or Venezia in Italian, is the largest in the Veneto region in northern Italy. Its fame and reputation have traveled the world. The magical floating city is surrounded by water from all sides, making it geographically unique. If you have ever wondered how the hometown of explorer Marco Polo and composer Antonio Vivaldi was built over water and what other curiosities it has to hide, here are a few interesting facts about Venice Italy

Although there are no trustworthy documents to sustain the theory, most historians believe that the city was founded in 421 AD. At first, the inhabitants built their houses on the unstable marshes of the lagoon, and lived by fishing and salt trade. Due to the geographical location, Venetians were predestined to be sailors. The Republic of Venice has been the most powerful naval center in Europe for over 800 years. Threatened by the Byzantine Empire, Venice fought for its independence until it became a city-state, a small country developed on the territory of a city. The political ruler was called the doge. Throughout history, the republic managed to remain independent from the Holy Roman Empire. However, in 1797, it surrendered in front of Napoleon's troops. The prestige of the location grew once the relics of Marcus of Alexandria were brought there in 828.



The Foundations of Venice

The location for the city of Venice was chosen out of necessity. It was occupied by a group of merchants trying to escape barbarian attacks in the northern region of the country. They found an archipelago formed out of 120 submerged islands. They built their first houses on the marshes, but were forced to find a better solution. Over the centuries, Venice was constructed using millions of larch pylons. These were placed over the layers of compacted silt on the bottom of the sea. Over time, the pylons petrified. Slabs of Istrian stone, similar to marble but much stronger, were placed over them. These were the foundations of the future buildings of the city.

The City

Over 400 bridges cross the labyrinth of 177 canals. The entire traffic is solely based on maritime transportation, like pinnaces, ferryboats, and gondolas. The city has around 7,000 chimneys that come in 10 different styles and shapes. There are 170 bell towers, and the tallest one is San Marco, which is 275 feet tall. Bell towers are an important form of communication in Venetian culture. The Grand Canal is the largest one, with and S-shape, splitting Venice in two. There are six quarters in the city. In 1966, a flood caused a lot of panic in the city. Sixteen apartments were abandoned, and this was only the beginning of the depopulation that followed.

The Canals

Venice is known throughout the world as a floating city. Although it might seem solid, it is constantly moving. It was built directly over the slit on the bottom of the sea, meaning that any movement of the tectonic plates, and the deposits of soft sediments under the buildings are causing it to sink. There are 177 canals crossing the city and the deepest ones are 50 feet. Although it is built directly on the seawater, the regular controls show that the Adriatic is very clean and safe for swimming.

The Venetian Boats

The Venetian boats, or the gondolas, are the traditional means of transportation in Venice. Each of these elegant boats is constructed out of no less than 280 pieces, sculpted from eight different types of wood. Although they might look symmetrical, all gondolas hide a little imperfection. Their left side is taller than the right by exactly 9.4 inches. The gondolas are inspired by the city itself, and its components represent the main sections in Venice, like the six neighborhoods, Giudecca Island, and the Rialto Bridge. There are only 400 licensed gondoliers in Venice.

The Landmarks

Venetians rely on tourism as a source of income. The floating city takes pride in its museums, monuments, and churches, which are considered a valuable part of the artistic global treasury. Throughout history, the city's local artists have been unmatched in their mastery of creating the perfect mirrors, stained glass, and upholstery. They decorated the city and helped spread its fame to the distant corners of the world. Ca' Dario Palace is the strangest landmark in the city as it is believed to be cursed. It has become famous due to the series of unexplainable deaths of its owners, which started when it was built back in 1847.