Venice is a city on the water. Throughout the 20th century, Venice quickly enough (up to 5 mm per year) plunged into the lagoon. According to scientists, the main prerequisite for this disaster was the industrial withdrawal of water from artesian wells and, as a result, a decrease in the aquifer of the earth. After the wells were closed, settlement of the town slowed down. But has Venice always been such an island city? Let's explore this question …
Plan of Venice, 16th century. I immediately have a question: who made the residents build houses and settle on the water? The city stands on stilts, driven into the bottom of the lagoon, keeps houses, whose 1st floors are empty - it is unrealistic to live there because of the dampness. What was the motivation behind the people?
The official history says that the urban settlement on the islands of the Venetian Lagoon began to be created in the second half of the 6th century. Initially, the center of the settlement was on the islands of Malamocco and Torcello, but from the 8th century it began to move to its present position. In the 7th century, the islands, on the initiative of Byzantium, to which they formally belonged, were united under the rule of a single ruler - the Doge.
Absolutely everyone has heard of Venice and imagines it like this:
Instead of land streets and roads - canals.
Promotional video:
But few people looked at this territory from above in the Google Earth program. And very interesting details are revealed in it. This post will concern not so much the description and mysteries of the city itself, how many of its surroundings (lagoons and shores).
Link to the map.
I can see in this image the clear coastline of the mainland and the continental areas inundated by the sea. This could happen when the level of the Mediterranean Sea rises (breakthrough of Gibraltar, filling with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean) or the sinking of this part of the mainland land. Or, perhaps, much complex processes with derivatives of these factors.
To the south of the island city are visible riverbeds that have sunk under the water. The whole lagoon is shallow, I think, almost like the depths of the Gulf of Finland. And here you can even draw some analogy with Peter.
Fairway for small vessels.
Even flooded canals or roads are visible under the water. But I think the first thing. Canals and rivers in ancient times were the main transport arteries.
Here, in the shallow water, one can see either ancient fields or the foundations of the fences.
Link to the map.
Link to the map.
From the side of the open sea, an underwater channel (dredging) has been dug to each breakwater and all breakwaters (and quays in one) are connected into a single system. There is also a wide, but not such depth channel from the inner side, from the side of the lagoon.
These are the breakwater pier.
The canal connecting the quays is apparently not in use now, as it rests against a modern port facility and has no outlet to the sea.
View from above.
In the shallow lagoon, there are lighthouses on wooden piles.
The presence of algae in some parts of the lagoon indicates a very shallow depth. 45 ° 17 '42.64 "N 12 ° 16' 19.46" E
Shallow water. 45 ° 30 '12.45 "N 12 ° 21' 30.00" E
I have only one association - these are islands from flooded territories.
The island city of Venice from above.
From a height it looks like the remnants of land in a flood.
There are road and rail links to the city.
From the side of the mainland, these are the "backwaters". Maybe fish are bred here, I don't know for sure, but it looks creative. 45 ° 20 '51.16 "N 12 ° 9' 47.47" E
In the same mainland there are even rectilinear channels:
Link to the map.
45 ° 23 '58.33 "N 12 ° 12' 53.05" E
There are many such small islands in the lagoon. 45 ° 28 '17.03 "N 12 ° 20' 38.52" E
Coordinates: 45 ° 23 '1.81 "N 12 ° 17' 10.10" E. Paving stones are found on one of the islands in the lagoon. Apparently, in the past, the island was inhabited and there were buildings on it.
There are many such abandoned islands here. 45 ° 28 '4.80 "N 12 ° 20' 44.40" E
There is even a star fortress on the mainland:
Link to the map. Fort Marghera.
The remains of one more "star". Link to the map.
When viewing the city, the thought comes to mind that the streets are simply flooded. These are not channels. The first floors, and partly the second, remained under water.
Central, widest canal (flooded avenue).
Many bridges were built from house to house for walking.
Not to write, but it would be foolish to build on water. Used piles. Often from Siberian larch, which indicates close ties with Siberia, which is strange. To hammer piles at that time (yes, and now) is not a cheap necessity, all the more so to hammer into the bottom, albeit not deep, but of the sea.
After long and heavy rains, Venice is drowned, sometimes the water rises a meter.
After viewing and analyzing all this photographic material and images from Google maps, I had the following conclusion: this whole territory was dry land even in historical time, there were settlements, fields, there was Venice, but not like a city on the water, but at most a city near the coast rivers. After what happened (it was a slow process or spontaneous and catastrophic - it is not known), the inhabitants did not leave the city, having moved somewhere drier, but adapted to the new conditions, did not leave their city.
That the city stood on the river, I think, even this photograph can say:
Fairway capable of passing a large ship with a decent displacement.
Channel cleaning:
Author: sibved