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The city centre of Venice is distributed over 118 islands which are divided into two main groups by the Canal Grande. This canal forms the city’s main thoroughfare and runs for approximately three kilometres but of the four hundred and ten bridges which link the islands, only three cross the Canal Grande - the Ponte degli Scalzi, the Ponte di Rialto and the Ponte dell’Academia. Despite all the divisions by its waterways, the city centre consists of six main zones or ‘sestieri’. These are Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Croce, San Marco and San Polo.
As well as the fact that the city is built entirely on water, however, there are numerous other unique qualities which make Venice one of the most visited city on the planet. The architecture in the city is a melange of Byzantine, Goth and Renaissance styles making it particularly memorable for those of you who appreciate this type of thing. Add to this the fact that it was the unrivalled trade centre between Europe and the Orient for over four hundred years which has also led to a fascinating mix of cultures and traditions.
But the news isn’t all good for Venice. The fact that its population increases two hundred fold with the mass influx of tourists every year means that it is overcrowded for most of the year. Many of the waterways have fallen foul to the worldwide problem of pollution and thanks to a combination of flooding and dodgy foundations, the city is sinking at a rate of about two and a half inches per decade.
On a more positive note, however, the city is most precious of all to its natives and serious work has been taking place over the last decade to combat these problems. In 1993 the canals were dredged extensively and state money is currently being pumped into the city in an effort to save it from ruin and to encourage the aforementioned natives to stay. As well as this, all of the problems which have been outlined largely go unnoticed by visitors to Venice and you will be no exception. When you catch your first glimpse of this remarkable destination you’ll see what we mean. Nothing could possibly mar your opinion of how wonderful it is.
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