20 fun facts about Venice 

20 fun facts about Venice 

Image: Pixabay

If you love literature, and you must have heard of Shakespeare’s book, The Merchant of Venice, one of his masterpieces is based on the city of Venice! Venice is a floating city, an ancient Italian city, probably one of the world’s top tourist destinations! So amazing is the destination, that there is a copy of Venice, built in Las Vegas, USA, the Venetian luxury five-star hotel complex, which resembles the real Venice so much so that it could actually have more tourists than the Italian Venice. It even comes complete with fake canals, fake gondolas and even fake St Mark Campanile! 

Here are some fascinating things you probably didn’t know about this beautiful and enchanting European destination! 

1. City of bridges and canals!

Image: Pixabay

Did you know that there are 417 bridges in Venice and 72 of them are private? Since the city is made up of hundreds of islands, it is only logical to have so maybe bridges connecting them!

This is a canal city; here, there are 177 canals!!!!! The biggest one is the S-Shaped Grand Canal and a fun fact is, it splits the city in two!

2. Aqua Alta and high tides 

The city of Venice experiences high tides about 430 times a year!!!!! The city is exposed to the ocean, thus the number and frequency. The water levels change, the canals change their height, because of this. There is also Aqua Alta which takes place between November. This means the city is flooded caused by the city flooding for three or four hours, making most places impassable. It is such a common phenomenon and the residents can predict it using apps!

3. There 350 gondolas and 400 gondolier

Image: Pixabay

This being a canal city means a lot of activities are doe on the water. There are very many gondolas- rowing boats in Venice, with about 400 gondolier- rowing boatmen.

4. Decreased population 

The city’ s population is decreasing in such a rapid way that some people believe that by 2030, it could be a ghost town. There has been a decrease of over 60, 000 people in the last 50 years! The reason is that people are leaving the city is overcrowded and the cost of living is extremely high!

5. The residents carried a casket around the city

In 2008, the Venetians held a fake funeral by carrying an empty casket around the city in 3 gondolas as a way of protesting the drop in the population of the city. Nothing has changed much, though since then as the decline in population is still evident.

6. The first woman to graduate 

Image: Wikiwand

In 1646, the first woman to graduate- in the world- was born. Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Loredan Piscopia graduated in Venice with a Ph.D., making it to the history books as the first woman to graduate. She graduated from the University of Padua with a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the age of 32! She could also speak seven languages fluently- Italian, Hebrew, Spanish, French, Arabic, Greek, and Latin!

7. World’s first public casino

The world’s first public casino opened its doors in Venice in Ridotto in 1638, opened by the Great Council of Venice. It was meant to provide controlled gambling during the carnival season.

8. The city is built on logs

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Venice is built on logs from Alder trees which were driven to the ground. The trees are known for their water resistance, therefore, was suitable for constructions there. 

9. The city of islands

Venice is made up of 118 islands connected by 400 bridges and more than 170 canals. Venice is a world heritage site!!!!

10. Gained independence 1,100 years ago

Venice is probably the oldest republic in the world! It gained its independence between 697 and 1797. France and Austria fought over dominion of the city and became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. 

11.  Venice is sinking 

The city is sinking at about 1-2mm per year. The city sits on the Adriatic plates which are moving. This could be one of the natural causes and the residents, for centuries have been extracting water from the city as well, which could be one of the man-made reasons for the sinking.

12. Gondoliers are some of the most well paid in the city

A gondolier takes home an average salary of 100,000 Euros, making them some of the most well-paid professionals in the city. They, actually have to go through training to get their licenses. There are now only about 400 gondoliers in the city, with only 3or 4 licenses being issued per year!

13. You cannot cycle in Venice

There is a fine for people caught cycling in the city of Venice. Skateboards and roller-skates areas also are forbidden in the city. 

14. All gondolas must be black

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There was a time when Gondolas could be painted any color by the owners; mainly to attract customers and this gave the advantage to the rich people since they could fancy up their gondolas; at a certain point, there was a law that the only color to be used on the outside of the gondolas should be black and that has been the norm till now. A few people have however decorated the inside of their gondolas.

15. Only one female gondolier 

Giorgia Boscolo, the daughter of a gondolier is the only female gondolier in the mostly male-dominated profession. The father was not amused by her choice to become a gondolier! 

16. Not sustainable tourism 

Venetians hate cruise ships; one because they believe it brings about pollution and displace water which damages the lagoons, and secondly because they bring about 30,000 tourists per day! Venice gets about 20 million tourists per year and most touristsdo not spend money in the city, which makes tourism unsustainable for them.

17. Basilica de San Marco

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The newest kid on the block in Venice is the Basilica de San Marco, which was completed in 1902. The basilica only became a cathedral since 1807.

18. An extra narrow street

The streets in Venice are not wide; but more surprising is the fact that there is a street that is just 53cm wide!!!! The Calle Varisco, a street in the Cannaregio district leads down a set of stair and getting back from it is quite a sport!!!!

19. Home to famous people

A lot of famous people have their roots in this town that has a ton of history. Marco Polo the famous explorer, Classical music composer Antonio Vivaldi, Giacomo Casanova was also born in Venice!

20. The eeriest place in Venice

Image: Wikipedia

The beautiful place- Ca’ Dario, built in the 15th Century is thought of to be the scariest place in Venice! 

Legend says that Giovanni Dario built the palace for his daughter and her husband who died premature deaths and anyone who has lived there has died in weird ways. It is believed that the palace was built on a cemetery and that is why mystery surrounds it!