How many islands make up the city of Venice?

Venice, Italy, is known by several names, one of which is the ‘Floating City’. This is due to the fact that the city of Venice consists of 118 small islands connected by numerous canals and bridges. Yet, the buildings in Venice were not built directly on the islands. Instead, they were built upon wooden platforms that were supported by wooden stakes driven into the ground.

The story of Venice begins in the 5 th century A.D. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, barbarians from the north were raiding Rome’s former territories. In order to escape these raids, the Venetian population on the mainland escaped to the nearby marshes, and found refuge on the sandy islands of Torcello, Iesolo and Malamocco. Although the settlements were initially temporary in nature, the Venetians gradually inhabited the islands on a permanent basis. In order to have their buildings on a solid foundation, the Venetians first drove wooden stakes into the sandy ground. Then, wooden platforms were constructed on top of these stakes. Finally, the buildings were constructed on these platforms.

More Info: www.ancient-origins.net

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21 Comments

vasily tchaikovsky

I knew it definitely ,Venice is great place to go, you will never regret At one of the Islands you can find a “Chair of Love” if you seat you ‘d fall in love … I was laughing and got seat .. What was happening –one year later I fallen in love and got married So people it is really magic chair – stay away from this chair,period p.s. I'm still married and happy,life is funny sometimes

Pierre Poirier

Giselle Poirez , why do you feel the need to criticize every god... question. You probably are the only one that thought it could be anything but Italy.

ninakamwene

I was in Venice in 2016 enjoyed a Gondola ride and did not know this information. 118 islands! Cool and gratze.

Marianne

Peter Robertson, Venice came into being after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. The islands became part of the exarchate of Ravenna in 584! It became a trading intermediary between the Western and the Byzantine empires. (No tourists yet) Gradually a national consciousness developed and finally the group of Rialto islands was solemnly transformed into the city of Venice (civitas Venetiarum). The church built for St. Mark -San Marco Basilica-, symbol of the Venetian spirit, was begun in its original form in 829 and consecrated in 832. (Long before tourists arrived) In the 11th-century, the Venetian Doges stopped the Norman expansion, which threatened to cut Venetian communications to the south. The Byzantine emperor then granted Venice unrestricted trade throughout the Byzantine Empire, with no customs dues, a privilege that marked the beginning of Venetian activity in the East (1082). The Duchy became a naval power in the region; then a Republic, when the last doge Ludovico Manin, was deposed on May 12, 1797 The end of the republic came after the outbreak of the French Revolution. In a few years, Venice was handed to the Italians. I have skipped centuries and centuries of History and Venice and Venetians' cultural achievements, just to give you an idea of what Venice is, and how little tourism had to do with the most remarkable and enchanting group of islands in the world. You may want to visit some of the islands of Murano and explore the "Museo del Vetro", which tells the story of glass through the centuries. Interesting, isn't it?