Is Venice Really Sinking

Venice is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet, with over 15 million visitors per year (an average of around 50,000 per day) and the numbers seem to grow every year. With that many tourists tromping around the City of Canals it might not seem a surprise that Venice could slowly be sinking into the lagoon it is built on, but is the popular myth actually true? Apparently not, actually, though it was true for a time.



The beautiful and romantic city has changed little over the centuries - there are still no cars there - and though the city is in a state of slow decay (part of the charm, according to many, it is not in danger of sinking below the surface anytime soon. Venice is built on wooden supports that came from the forests in what are now Slovenia and Croatia. Whole forests were cut down to be shipped to the lagoon where the posts made from the trees were driven through the soft mud, sand and silt to the clay bottom which supports the entire city.



Over the last century, Artesian wells were in constant use on the edges of the lagoon, which caused a subsidence in the clay lagoon bottom due to the vast amounts of water pumped out of the aquifer underneath the lagoon floor. This problem was only recognized in the 1960s and prompted a cessation of the us of Artesian wells, but by then a significant amount of sinkage had already occurred, making many of the ground floor rooms in Venice homes and other buildings unusable.



The sinking has slowed and according to some, has stopped completely, but Venice is still inundated periodically by the "acqua alta" - the high waters that periodically flood parts of the city, leaving landmarks like St. Marks Square under several feet of water. The acqua alta is a bigger problem in the wet winter months, but the city has learned to cope with it, laying down elevated wooden walkways when the waters of the lagoon overflow the banks.



So, for those of you rushing to book a room in one of the hotels in Venice, before it sinks below the waves, there’s no need to hurry. Venice will be there for quite some time, it seems. However, there’s no need to put off that trip either, because Venice still remains one of the loveliest cities on the planet, and a visit is highly recommended. Book a trip in the winter when the crowds are gone - Venice hotels and airfare to Italy are cheaper in the off-season - but don’t forget to bring your waders...