Venice: interesting facts, places and legends. About everyone and everything

Venice is a stunning and extraordinary city that has always attracted tourists. The city is unique in that it stands on the water. Have you ever wondered how people live there, since there is only water around? And so a few facts about Venice and its inhabitants:

1. Venice floods mainly in November and December.

2. Once a week, mostly on Tuesdays, fresh vegetables are brought to the vegetable market in Piazzale Roma. Farmers bring them from the mainland.

3. Venetians include not only those people who live in Venice, but also residents of neighboring islands (about 30 thousand people), and people living in the mainland suburb of Venice - Mestre.

Mestre is very important Finance center, the inhabitants wanted to secede from Venice, but they were refused.

4. In November 2009, a group of citizens from the website venessia.com gathered and buried Venice. The thing is that the population of Venice has sharply decreased to 60,000 people. A gondola carrying a coffin, covered with a Venetian flag, floated across the Grand Canal to the palazzo where the administration sits. A whole ceremony with funeral speeches was also held.

5. There are not enough places for shops in Venice. Therefore, traders also sell food on the street.

6.The most expensive real estate in Italy is Venice. The most expensive apartments and accommodation are there.

7. There are almost no public toilets in Venice.

8. In cafes, Venetians are given big discounts, this causes dissatisfaction among tourists. Since city residents constantly go to the same cafes, they are therefore considered regular customers.

9. In Venice, people are buried on the island cemetery of San Michele. Periodically, every 7-10 years, the remains are exhumed and placed in a columbarium. This frees up space for others.

10. The number of gondoliers in Venice remains unchanged (425), and does not depend on whether gondoliers retire or newcomers join the guild.

11. There are only three fire boats in Venice. Do you think that they have plenty of water and at least I don’t want to pour it? Nothing like this. enjoy sea water allowed only in the most extreme cases, since salt erodes walls and damages furniture.

12. And also local residents love using the IRIS system. It’s very simple, if you have garbage or other rubbish that needs to be thrown out, you “signal” about your problem via cell phone or the Internet and city cleaning services come to you and clean everything up.

13. The country of Venezuela is named after Venice. Travelers from Europe under the leadership of Amerigo Vespucci, seeing the houses of the Indians standing on stilts, immediately remembered Venice and named the country in its honor.

14. Venice is going under water. Therefore, it was rebuilt twice. Scientists predict that by 2028 the city will be completely flooded.

15. The population of Venice is only 270.4 thousand inhabitants.

16. The historical center is located on 118 islands of the Venetian Lagoon, separated by 150 canals and channels, over which about 400 bridges are thrown.

17. On many old buildings in this city you can find the symbol of St. Mark in the form of a lion holding a book. If the book is open, then during the construction of the building in Venice there was Peaceful time. If closed, then Venice was in a state of war.

18. The first ghetto appeared in Venice in the 16th century. The city authorities decided to settle all the Jews on the island, where there was also a foundry, from which slag deposits remained. It is from the name of slag in the Venetian language (“gheto”), according to the most common version, that the place of zoning of Jews received its name.

19. Every year, 18 million people visit Venice, and 50 thousand tourists come here every day to fully immerse themselves in the charm of this city on the water.

20. There are no sewers in Venice! All waste is washed into the canals twice a day with the tides, which explains the following interesting fact: there are only 20 professional plumbers in Venice!

21. Most of the houses are built on stilts made of Russian larch. As you know, this tree almost does not deteriorate in water.

22. The famous lover Giacomo Casanova, the traveler Marco Polo and the composer Antonio Vivaldi were born in Venice.

Flooding of Venice 2012.

Venice, far from the best Big city Italy. With a population of 264.5 thousand people, this city ranks 11th in Italy. Moreover, the population of the city consists mainly of both Italians and Venetians who do not consider themselves Italians. But in terms of the number of tourists, Venice can easily compete with Rome.

Venice is the administrative center of the region of Venice and the capital of the Italian province of Venice.

The region of Venice includes cities, in addition to Venice, Belunno, Padua, Rovigo, Tverizo, Verona and Vicenza... with a total population of 5 million people.

Venice, within Venetian Republic, for a thousand years was a state independent from Italy. After the Napoleonic wars, by decision of the Congress of Vienna, the republic was annexed to the Austrian Empire, and in 1866, as a result of the third Italian War of Independence, it was transferred to the Kingdom of Italy.

Today Venice is one of the most developed regions of Italy. It has a rich historical, natural, cultural and culinary heritage, which is why the area is the most visited in Italy, about 63 million tourists every year.

In March 2014, in a national referendum, 89% of the voting population of Venice voted for the separation of Venice from Italy!However, out of 5 million, there were only a few thousand people who came to the referendum, and therefore the referendum was considered invalid and had no legal force.

People who came by their vote voted for independence and to remain a member of the EU and NATO in the event of secession, and to retain the euro as a currency.

Italy consists of 21 regional region. The region of Venice contributes 9.4% of the gross domestic product to the Italian economy. Mainly, these are funds from agriculture, fishing, food, textile, and metallurgical industries, tourism, and trade. Hence the indicator of how important Venice is economically for Italy and how much income it brings to the country.

Around the city of Venice itself there are 43 more settlements(communes).

Island part of Venice

The historic city center of Venice is located on 118 islands The Venetian lagoon, separated by 150 canals and channels, over which about 400 bridges are thrown.

Island Venice is a seaside resort, a center of international tourism of world importance.

Mainland Venice, Mestre district

But in 1926, the island city of Venice merged with the mainland city Mestre. And now the city of Venice has its own mainland with a population of 89,000 people. That is, a third of the population of Venice lives on the mainland of the city and 2/3 on the island.

It is the Mestre district that is the most densely populated and brings the greatest profit to the city budget. While island Venice is famous for its historic Venice Film Festival and Carnival, Venice's mainland district of Mestre is famous for its annual international tennis tournament.

Despite the fact that the city of Venice has its own mayor, who is Luigi Bruniaro, the city itself is divided into 6 self-governing districts.

Venice has one of the largest airports in Italy. It is located in the Venice suburb of Tessera and is named after the European discoverer of China, Marco Polo. Marco Polo took fourth place in the list of the country's largest airports both in terms of passenger traffic and the number of aircraft take-offs/landings at the airport. Accepts the airport and Latvian Airlines aircraft from Riga.

The seaport of Venice consists of 26 cargo and 8 passenger terminals. Serves 2.3 million passengers per year. The port is a universal cargo complex, processing container, bulk, general and liquid cargo. It is the only port in the country connected to the river network of Northern Italy. About 18 thousand people are employed in the port and related industries.

Venice receives about 20 million tourists annually and over 600 cruise ships.

There are 433 gondoliers in Venice, Moreover, this number does not change regardless of retirement or the arrival of new members. They are all Venetian by origin. There is only one female gondolier in Venice.

Island Venice is a city without cars.

The whole of Venice is built on stilts of larch, a native of the Alps, which hardly rots in water, and from which is obtained a resin known as Venetian turpentine

During antiquity, the area of Venice was inhabited by Veneti(hence the name of the city).

In general, Venice was a mixture of tribes and peoples of Africa, Asia and Southern Europe. And therefore, despite the fact that Venice is a region of Northern Italy, the mentality of the inhabitants and the architecture of the city have always been different from Italian.

In addition, Venice is the region of modern Italy that was the last to gain independence from Byzantine Empire, and the influence of Byzantium is felt very great there.

Venice was the link that connected Byzantium with the Western world in terms of trade. This is the gate from Byzantium to Europe and, of course, for passage through this gate, one had to pay to the machinations of Venice.

In their history, both the Hungarians and the Slovenians and the Arabs tried to capture Venice as a very profitable trading region, but were unable to do so. Venice was not only well fortified, butVenice managed to conclude treaties with all the surrounding powers, ensuring the independence of the city and unhindered trade, and also began the territorial expansion of the republic, even capturing part of modern Croatia.

Venice, from a historical point of view, is a unique city, since there have never been vassal relations there. At all times, the inhabitants of Venice were always free citizens; there was no dependence and slavery, which was the case throughout Europe and even throughout the World. But this did not happen in Venice!

The flourishing of Venice was also facilitated by the crusaders, who plundered Byzantium and transferred many Great Orthodox Byzantine shrines to Venice. However, having undermined the power of Byzantium, the crusaders strengthened the influence in Europe of the role of the Muslim East, which then, with its campaigns, undermined the economic well-being of Venice itself.

Venice has sister city ties with six cities in Eurasia: Suzhou (China), Sarajevo (Bosnia), Tallinn (Estonia), Istanbul (Türkiye), Yerevan (Armenia), Dubrovnik (Croatia).

Interesting fact: country Venezuela in South America was named after the city of Venice!

The city of Venice has as many as 26 patron saints. The main shrine of Venice is St. Mark's Basilica with the relics of the saint Apostle and Evangelist Mark. However, the main patron saint in Venice is not the Apostle Mark, but the Hieromartyr Theodore Stratilates, whose statue stands on a column symbolizing the gates of Venice.

Mainland Venice is patronized archangel Michael.

Of the Great Christian shrines in the temples of Venice are: the relics of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark, as well as the relics of St. Zechariah (father of John the Baptist), Athanasius the Great, John the Merciful, Herman of Constantinople, Christina of Tire, Theodore Stratelates, Mary of Bithynia, part of the relics of the healer Panteleimon, part of the relics of St. Nicholas, Sergius and Bacchus, the hand of Hilarion the Great and the hand of Basil the Great, the head of the martyr Barbara, miraculous lists of the Passionate and Healer icons... and many... many other shrines and holy relics.

If we talk about how people live in Venice, there are many both positive and negative aspects.

Positive points for the residents of Venice can be attributed to the fresh air of the Adriatic. There is no gas pollution in the city at all, be it an airport or a train station, you can feel fresh air everywhere.

Besides, Venice is an open-air museum. In any city, to see world masterpieces, you have to pay money to a museum, but in Vinice it’s worth going to any functioning temple for free and admiring the masterpieces of the Venetian school of painting.

To the negative points The climate of Venice should be attributed. In winter, Venice is very damp and after rains (and in spring, floods) very slippery. But as the locals say, you can survive this if you dress correctly. But in the summer it’s worse. In the summer in Venice it is not only very hot, but very humid. Therefore, every resident of Venice dreams of going deeper into Europe in July-August and relaxing in the Alps.

But the most negative point is the massive influx of tourists into the city. There are always a lot of them in Venice, both in summer and winter. According to local residents, it is difficult to go to the store or to work without someone stopping you and asking you to take a photo. Local residents are very tired of tourists, of whom there are simply a ton. It is sometimes difficult to walk along the streets of the city.

Such attention from tourists to the city brings another inconvenience to the Venitians. Prices in the city are also tailored for tourists. Thus Venice can be called the most expensive city Italy. Fish in shops in Venice can cost up to 50 euros per kg, meat up to 35 euros, a loaf of bread up to 10 euros, and a liter carton of milk up to 5 euros. Many local Venetians went to live in other cities in Italy just because of the prices and because of the tourists. Venice, on the contrary, was settled by very rich migrants from different countries peace. To buy a home in Venice today, you literally have to be a millionaire!

If we talk about hotels in Venice, they are also not very cheap. Venice offers tourists 1341 hotel options!!! When looking at the prices of a standard single room for 1 night in June, from the cheapest options, from 60 - to 117 euros and then at 29% of the specified discount, and the most expensive option is 5286 euros per night (yes, yes...5 thousand 286 euros!!! ), but now with a discount you can move in and sleep for 4206 euros, this is as stated as a “super offer”!

For users of this hotel room, the following information is provided:

The legendary Hotel Danieli is located 200 meters from St. Mark's Square. The hotel overlooks the Venetian Lagoon. The spacious rooms are beautifully furnished. The hotel features first-class service.

All rooms and suites include an LCD TV with satellite channels, air conditioning and an Italian marble bathroom with a bathrobe and slippers. Some rooms have lagoon views.

Well, after all, Venice has its own dimensions and it is not unlimited. Therefore, the city has introduced a tax on every tourist who wishes to stay in the city overnight in a hotel. This tax must be paid additionally and is 5 euros per person per night! This is income for the city budget.

1. Venice floods mainly in November and December.

2. Once a week, mostly on Tuesdays, fresh vegetables are brought to the vegetable market in Piazzale Roma. Farmers bring them from the mainland.

3. Venetians include not only those people who live in Venice, but also residents of neighboring islands (about 30 thousand people), and people living in the mainland suburb of Venice - Mestre.

Mestre is a very important financial center, the residents wanted to secede from Venice, but they were refused.

5. There are not enough places for shops in Venice. Therefore, traders also sell food on the street.

6.The most expensive real estate in Italy is Venice. The most expensive apartments and accommodation are there.

7. There are almost no public toilets in Venice.

8. In cafes, Venetians are given big discounts, this causes dissatisfaction among tourists. Since city residents constantly go to the same cafes, they are therefore considered regular customers.

9. In Venice, people are buried on the island cemetery of San Michele. Periodically, every 7-10 years, the remains are exhumed and placed in a columbarium. This frees up space for others.

10. The number of gondoliers in Venice remains unchanged (425), and does not depend on whether gondoliers retire or newcomers join the guild.

11. There are only three fire boats in Venice. Do you think that they have plenty of water and at least I don’t want to pour it? Nothing like this. The use of sea water is allowed only in the most extreme cases, as salt erodes walls and damages furniture.

12. Local residents also like to use the IRIS system. It’s very simple, if you have garbage or other rubbish that needs to be thrown out, you “signal” about your problem via cell phone or the Internet and city cleaning services come to you and clean everything up.

14. Venice is going under water. Therefore, it was rebuilt twice. Scientists predict that by 2028 the city will be completely flooded.

15. The population of Venice is only 270.4 thousand inhabitants.

16. The historical center is located on 118 islands of the Venetian Lagoon, separated by 150 canals and channels, over which about 400 bridges are thrown.

17. On many old buildings in this city you can find the symbol of St. Mark in the form of a lion holding a book. If the book is open, then during the construction of the building in Venice it was peacetime. If closed, then Venice was in a state of war.

19. Every year, 18 million people visit Venice, and 50 thousand tourists come here every day to fully immerse themselves in the charm of this city on the water.

20. There are no sewers in Venice! All waste is washed into the canals twice a day with the tides, which explains the following interesting fact: there are only 20 professional plumbers in Venice!

21. Most of the houses are built on stilts made of Russian larch. As you know, this tree almost does not deteriorate in water.

22. The famous lover Giacomo Casanova, the traveler Marco Polo and the composer Antonio Vivaldi were born in Venice.

Flooding of Venice 2012.

Venice is the most city of the world. He was described in prose, glorified in poetry and filmed. This is a real monument city, where almost every building can claim the title of historical. The entire old part of Venice and its lagoon are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. And this is far from the most remarkable touch to the city’s portrait. What to see in Venice and whether everything here is as romantic as it is described - in the section “20 + 1 interesting facts”.

“There is no more magnificent absurdity than Venice. To build a city where a city cannot be built is in itself madness; but to build one of the most elegant, grandiose cities in this way is brilliant madness,” Alexander Herzen very accurately described Venice with these words. A selection from a bright illustration of this.

1. The historic city center is located on 118 islands of the Venetian Lagoon.

2. The city is crossed by about 170 canals, connected by 409 bridges.

3. Hurry, Venice is sinking! Over the past 100 years, the rate of subsidence has increased significantly, and soil levels have dropped by 24 cm! Oh, such beauty goes under water.

4. The widest canal is the Grand Canal, which divides the city into two parts. Its length is 2 km and its depth is over 4 m.

5. It's the 21st century, and there's still no sewage system! Why, if all the waste is washed into the canals... Twice a day with the tides.

6. Motorists have nothing to do in Venice. By car you can only get to Piazzale. Then only by gondola or vaporetto - water bus.

Interesting sights of Venice

The famous landmark is mistakenly perceived by lovers as a symbol of romantic longing. However, the sighs heard on this bridge were not at all from love. The bridge runs between the prison building and the courthouse, and prisoners who were sentenced were driven across it.

Bridge of Breasts ( Ponte delle Tette) . There was a red light street here. In the 15th century, the state itself obliged ladies of easy virtue to bare their breasts while standing on the balconies of surrounding buildings. This is how they attracted new clients and weaned off suspected homosexuals passing under the bridge.

The bell tower (campanile) was erected back in 1514. In 1902, a huge crack appeared in the bell tower, thereby warning the entire city of its impending collapse. A day later, the tower completely collapsed, which is why not a single person was injured. In 1912, the bell tower was restored in the same form and in the same place.

Stone lions with books in their paws (Lions of St. Mark). Sculptures - business card Venice. It is important to note that some lions hold open books, for others the book is closed. It is explained this way: if the book is open, the building was built in peacetime, if the book is closed, there was a war during the construction period.

Threat of flooding

Venice gives the impression of a floating city. This impression is, of course, deceptive, because all the buildings stand on stilts - long wooden pillars driven deep into the bottom of the sea. The peculiarity of Venetian piles is that, being constantly in water, they do not rot.

The secret of longevity is in the wood from which the piles are made. Alpine larch perfectly resists moisture, does not lose strength and is not afraid of insects. Larch has been used in shipbuilding for hundreds of years.

Every autumn, the rising level of the Adriatic Sea floods Venice. Not only streets and squares are under water, but also the first floors of houses. Venetian residents have adapted and are moving to higher floors in advance. Moreover, floods have become a landmark of the city and thousands of tourists try to get to Venice at this time in order to capture the unique spectacle.

But not everything is so smooth. Every year, Venice sinks deeper and deeper into the water due to rising sea levels. According to forecasts, if the rate of increase in water levels continues, by 2100 the city will be completely under water.

Life and life of the Venetians

Interesting fact: Venice has no sewer system at all! All human waste is washed directly into the water of the canals every day during high tides. Therefore, the plumber profession is absolutely not popular and employs no more than 25 workers.

£200,000 room

Venice is the most expensive city to live in Italy. Housing here is unreasonably expensive and costs even more than Milan. For example, in 2017 The smallest apartment in the city was put on the real estate market. Its area was 5 m², and its cost was 200,000 pounds sterling (the cost of a small castle in Ireland). Moreover, the room has a sink, shower, toilet, wardrobe, bed and kitchen (!).

It is difficult to find a public toilet in the city, and visiting it is only possible with special permission. cards for 8-10 visits. The cost of a single visit is around 2 euros.

We should also talk about the cemetery of Venice - San Michele. The cemetery is located on a separate island, on the site of an ancient prison. In 1807, by decree of Napoleon I, the island was completely allocated for the burial of the inhabitants of Venice. Personalities such as Christian Doppler, Joseph Brodsky, Helenio Herrera, etc. are buried here.

Since the end of 2016, bicycles have been banned in Venice. The fine will be 50 euros, even if you are just rolling a bicycle nearby or carrying it in your hands. Exceptions are made only for citizens of Venice and only for transportation from the station/port to home, following the shortest route.

In the 15th - 16th centuries, golden-red hair color came into fashion, which was considered the standard of beauty. Trying to conform, aristocrats used horse and goat urine to lighten their hair. After soaking their hair, they sat for hours on the verandas under the rays of the scorching sun. This tradition gave birth to the legend of golden-haired Rapunzel.

Gondolier - a unique profession in Venice

In Venice there is a special profession - gondolier. Of course, they ride gondolas in other countries, but in Venice, gondoliers are a special closed caste. The profession of a gondolier is passed down only from father to son; an outsider cannot become a gondolier. There are 425 gondoliers in the city and their number is strictly fixed and determined by the Venice Gondoliers Association.

Short interesting facts about Venice

There are 150 canals in Venice, over which 409 bridges are thrown;
in Venice the most low level crime in Italy;
15 million tourists visit Venice every year;
in 1104, the world's first warship factory appeared in Venice, with the proud name - Arsenal;
Venice is located on 117 islands;
Half of Venice's population is associated with tourism.