Venice is built on a group of little islands. At a depth of from ten to
fifteen feet there is a firm bed of clay; below that a bed of sand or
gravel, and then a layer of peat. Artesian wells dug to the depth of
sixteen hundred feet have shown a regular succession of these beds. On
this base, piles, where they have been used for the foundation, have
become petrified. So the city may be described actually as having been
built up from the bed of the sea. In its physical aspect it may be
summed up by saying that Venice stands on 117 small islands formed by
something like 150 canals and joined together by 378 bridges.
[Illustration: THE GRAND CANAL BY MOONLIGHT]
There is but little in the way of sidewalks. Occasional narrow paths
of stone skirt the canals; but in many places the water laps the very
walls of the buildings, and transportation is to be had only by boat.
Of course there are many lanes and passages among the houses; but the
general effect is such as would make an impression on the traveler of
a city set in the sea, and the people live, move, and have their being
on either stone or water. They are strangers to groves, shady lanes,
and country places. Some of the inhabitants of Venice have never seen a
horse or a cow.
[Illustration: A GONDOLA
_These black-painted craft take the place of cabs in Venice. They are
propelled by a gondolier, who stands at the rear._]
The city is divided into two parts by the Grand Canal, which is nearly
two miles in length and varies from 100 to 200 feet in width. It makes
a fine curve like the letter S, and by this it displays to advantage
the magnificent residences that line it. There on its gleaming surface
are to be seen the brilliant pageants of the city,--gondolas and
autoboats in great number, gay parties, chatting and laughing and
tossing flowers, and the whole stretch a blaze of intoxicating color.
Some of the most attractive views of Venice are to be had not from
within the canal, but from some point out in the lagoon. Your map of
Venice will show you the city not literally situated in the Adriatic
Sea, but located within the lagoon and protected from the outer sea by
long sand hills strengthened by bulwarks of masonry. From the strip to
the mainland, across the lagoon, where Venice is situated, the distance
is about five miles, and in this stretch of water you will see many
striped posts called “pali.” These mark the navigable channels about
the city.
[Illustration: VENICE AND THE ADRIATIC SEA
_A panorama of the beautiful “Island City.”_]