How Venice Stays Afloat

From powering its buildings to collecting its trash, here is a glimpse of Venice behind its elegant facades and beneath its picturesque bridges.

The Islands of Venice

Venice lies in the middle of a lagoon, separated from the sea by thin strips of land. Twice every day the water in the lagoon drains away from the city’s 124 islands and fills up again with fresh seawater. This constant movement of water gives Venice its unique, ethereal character, but it also makes city maintenance a bear to handle.

Rising Tide

The churning of boat propellers, along with the rise and fall of saltwater, wreaks havoc on a Venitian building's integrity. A brick cladding protects the buildings’ foundations, but as Luca Zaggia pointed out, this system can no longer keep up with the rising tide. “Local processes and global warming affect the architectural and artistic heritage of Venice,” said Zaggia, “accelerating the speed at which the structures deteriorate and weather, and increasing the costs of safeguarding the city.” This leaves Venice in a precarious position.

"Road" Work

Periodically, a section of a canal is blocked off and drained so that necessary repairs can take place. If this work is not carried out, the canals will fill with sediment brought in by the tide and materials eroded from the buildings. “Venice is a wonderful machine which combines natural forces and human efforts, but it must be continuously maintained,” said Zaggia.

Let There Be Light

Venetians have had to find inventive ways to bring modernity to the medieval city. A late-night stroll around the calle of Venice is illuminated by electricty. But how does the electrical current pass safely around a city of water? By following the path of its inhabitants. Under the stones of the city’s walkways, cables run from house to house, carefully hidden from view. In order to criss-cross rivers, the cables run within bridges, passing between islands unnoticed. The same is true of phone lines, as well as water and gas pipelines. This clever way of concealing these amenities keeps the city up-to-date without stripping it of its magical charm.

Trash Day

Another utility handled in a uniquely Venetian way is the trash collection. Garbage men collect waste on foot, with handcarts to wheel the refuse to the edge of larger canals. The trash is then transferred to large boats that ferry it out of the city. You can usually spot this process outside the Rialto Market, which generates its fair share of trash on a daily basis. Though this method works well, it isn’t cheap. The cost of garbage collection is three times the price in Venice as it is on the mainland.

Mail Delivery

It’s not just the rubbish that is shuttled around Venice by boat. The postal service works in much the same way. In fact, DHL and UPS have liveried boats that deliver packages around the city, nipping through the canals like another other postal van on terra firma. A whole host of other goods are also transported by boat. You’ll see small barges stacked high with food, wine, merchandise—any daily necessity that a Venetian might need.

It's an Emergency

Emergency services are also served by boat. Ambulances, police vehicles, and the fire brigade whiz along the network of canals, sirens blaring to clear a path past the other boats on the water. The fire station, or "Vigili del Fuoco," is in the Dorsoduro district with its boats moored under arches outside, ready to shoot off at a moment’s notice. Outside the hospital in the northern Castello part of the city, you’ll also find a row of ambulances stationed outside.

24. Venice

"A beautiful and intriguing place" where "every view is like a painting," Venice won over our readers with its "unbelievable atmosphere." There's "not a bad meal to be had in this city," and it's a "paradise for shopping and fashion." "Somehow for me this city is apart from this world. You can write pages describing it but it would never be enough. It's the perfect experience to wake up in the morning and have a espresso on a narrow street and to end it in a gondola in the evening."