SINKING CITY OF VENICE Ashley La Turno Geography

SINKING CITY OF VENICE Ashley La. Turno Geography 1000 Fall 2017

Venice, Italy ■ Venice has been around for a very long time, 400 A. D to be exact. The first people decided to settle on the Venetian Lagoon, when they moved out from Italian mainland. The lagoon is consist of 117 islands which are linked by water canals, numerous small bridges and three large bridges which is over the Grand Canal. The city is mostly build on wood which was driven to into mud, sand, and clay. The first men transported this wood by water from far away mountains called Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro. Once the buildings were built, life began in Venice population in the 1600 s was at 200, 000 and these people brought culture with them. Some of these people were authors, playwriters, poets, technology developers of printing and publishing, but Venice has always been a source of great inspiration. Artists such as, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and Anne Rice have all went to Venice for its amazing culture. However, not all have came to Venice for her beauty, some have come to conquer her. From the Middle Ages to the Battle of Lepanto she has over come a lot, but no Venice faces an even bigger threat now: Water!

OLD MAP OF VENICE, ITALY

Raising Waters ■ People first started to notice the overwhelming floods in 1966. That year flooding peaked at it highest in history. Waters rose 196 cm above seas level and reaching peoples chest. That year, water flooded restaurants, business, and resident homes. Countless of artwork were ruined and thousands of people were trapped in their homes. In addition, many other people were left homeless.

Year after Year ■ Venice has been flooding for years, even though never as severe as the year of 1966, it floods about four times a year. Venetians usually call this Acqua Alta or “high waters. ” This happens because the tides are usually higher during a full or new moon, low atmospheric pressure, and wind blowing from the Adriatic sea that force water into the Venetian Lagoon. Acqua Alta usually occurs late September, October, November, and December. The best way Venetians prepare for Acqua Alta is with high rubber boots.

Sinking and tilting ■ There is countless reasons why Venice is sinking. First, the more frequent floods along the canals are causing Venice to sink. Second, Venice sits on Adriatic plate, the plate beneath it is causing the city to drop slightly in elevation. Third, huge ships are coming into the Grand Canal cause water to get pushed into Venice. ■ In these photos, it shows Venice tilting eastward and it is said, the shift of tectonic plates and sediment compaction might be causing the titling.

Cruise ships ■ For many years Venetian residents had concerns with giant cruise ships entering the canals. Now, their concerns are a reality. These ships are pushing waters onto the streets of Venice. Cruise ship that accommodate 5, 400 guests weighs about 220, 000 gross tons. ■ The residents raised their concerns about the ships to the government, and their concerns were heard. These ships might be banned from entering the Giudecca canal and the front of St. Mark Square. Many people believe there is no alternate route for cruise ships to dock or the time frame of four year- no ships- is untamable because the government might change their minds about the situation.

PLAN ■ The plan to stop some of the flooding caused my cruise ships is to banned them from entering. ■ This new navigation for the problem.

Water Wall ■ For centuries Venice has been expose to flooding, but now there is a new defense to this problem. The defense is called Experimental Electromechanical Module. These gates are built on the sea floor across inlets that connect the Adriatic sea and the Lagoon. Inside these gates are hollowed blocks that fill with water when needed. A control room is near by to activate this defense system and help prevent flooding into the streets and canals of Venice.

AN EXAMPLE OF THE GATES

Hope ■ There is many problems causes Venice to sink – the people, the ships, and the water, but with the help from everyone, we might not lose such a beautiful and historic city. The people have taken steps to help, such as, banned of huge cruise ships, and Experimental Electromechanical. But time is of an essence for this beloved city.

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