Venice is a city built on hundreds of small islands in a lagoon in northern Italy. It has a unique architecture of buildings constructed on wooden poles driven into the mud, which became stone-like over time. For centuries, Venice dominated sea trade as Europe's gateway to the East, transporting goods between Southern Russia and France via powerful ships. Today, the city's economy relies heavily on tourism, with its breathtaking canals, bridges, and historical landmarks attracting many visitors each year. The entire city and lagoon have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site to protect its cultural and architectural significance.

1. travel15 October 2010 NEXT234NEXT.com
The stuff of a million postcardsThe stuff of a million postcards
Venice, magical city on water
T
his is my brief
description of Venice:
a city with priceless
historical heritage; a creation
of the ingenuity of minds with
incomparable skill sets. Venice
isacityinnorthernItalyknown
both for tourism and industry,
and is the capital of the Veneto
region. It is one of the world’s
oldest tourist and cultural
centres.Historicallythecapital
of an independent city-state,
Venice has been known by
different names like: “The
Floating City”, “Queen of the
Adriatic”,“CityofWater”,“City
of Canals”, “City of Bridges”,
“CityofMasks,”amongstmany.
Buildingmethods
The buildings of Venice are
constructedonasystemofwood
poles buried in mud, for in the
absenceofoxygenunderwater,
wooddoesnotdecay.Instead,it
is petrified to become a stone-
likestructure.Longwoodpoles
were first driven into the mud
until they reached the much
harderlayerofcompressedclay.
Wooden planks were then laid
on these palings, and layered
crosswise to obtain a marble-
like structure. Not forgetting
thatthelandscapeischallenging
and potentially inhospitable,
some buildings had instability
problemsandarevisiblycrooked
today.
IhadtochoosebetweenParis
andVenice,gentlereader.Avie,
withwhomIwastravelling,gave
Paris the thumbs-down, saying
onlyloversneedgothere;itisnot
meant for single ladies like us,
sheclaimed,rightlyorwrongly.
Webothhadalaughatthat.This
was a trip on our own, seeking
adventure around Europe. We
startedbymakingourowntravel
plans: we booked our tickets
onlinefourweeksahead.Itwas
summer and that meant: if you
are not careful, you will not get
aflight;andifyouareabletoget
one, it will be expensive. Next
stepwasbookingthehostelthat
we would stay in; we could not
afford a hotel. There are plenty
of student hostels all around
Europethatbackpacktravellers
likeuscanstayin.Wewouldstay
justonenight.
The day came. Armed
with descriptions and all the
information we could cull off
Google, we boarded our flight.
We arrived at the Marco Polo
Airport and got on a bus to
Piazzale Roma, from where
we would make our way to our
hostel.
Walkingincircles
Wesetoffaskingfordirections
and, according to the mail in
our hand, our destination was
about15minutesfromthebus-
stop. After a couple of minutes
we realised something very
important: the landmarks are
only arrows pointing towards
SanMarcoandRialto,ifwewere
going forward. “Great,” I said.
Then we resorted to asking for
the number of our destination.
Venice is not like your normal
citywheretherearestreetnames
and the rest. It is a walking city,
withover400connectingcanal
bridges called Ponti. As I was
to learn, it is Europe’s urban
car free area, the only sizeable
functioning city in the 21st
century without motorcars or
trucks.Theframeworkofcanals
andnarrowstreetshasprevented
vehicularintrusion.
For a projected destination
of 15 minutes, we spent about
90 minutes walking round
before we were able to find our
hostel. On getting there, we
discovered that we should have
been directed to take the water
taxi; our hostel was actually
onlyabout10minutesfromthe
water bus-stop. So much for
information. Secondly, I would
have appreciated being told to
wear flat soles or comfy flip-
flops.Myfeetached.Afterquick
showers, we set out in search
of the San Marco di Basilica,
for the museums were already
closedbythetimeweweredone
withsettlingin.
EconomyandGovernment
Venice was the symbol of
wise government and freedom
in historical times, symbolising
democracyandcivilisation.The
city was governed by the Great
Council, made up of members
ofVenetiannobility.Acouncilof
ten,knownastheDucalCouncil
or the Signoria, controlled the
administration of the city. One
member of the great council
waselected“Doge”,orduke,the
ceremonialheadofthecity,who
normally held the title until his
death.
GatewaytotheEast
The city’s only defence is the
lagoonwhiletheseaisitsparade
ground.Venetianoriginsareon
water, with an invisible canal
network that made navigation
possibleonlyforthosewhoknew
itsintricatepath.Forcenturies,
the lagoon was Venice’s main
defenceasitwasdifficult,infact
almostimpossibletobreach.
Venice dominated the sea
trade until the 17th century;
its ships were able to navigate
from Southern Russian rivers
to the French coasts. Venetians
are known for having sailed all
over the world on powerful,
safe ships at a time when sea-
faring was difficult and risky;
and the city became known as
Europe’s gateway to the East.
By ship, Venetians transported
silk, spices, gold and silver, and
wood. An important factor in
the Venetian economy was the
productionofsea-goingvessels
in its own public shipyard,
the Arsenal, built in the 18th
century.
The naval superiority and
importance of Venice became
reduced when the city’s trade
empire was taken over by
countrieslikePortugal.Afterits
fall in the 17th century, Venice
reinvented itself in the 18th
century as a major agricultural
andindustrialexporter.
Today, its economy is
based mainly on tourism,
shipbuilding, services, trade
and industrial exports. The
breathtaking sights of the city
show why the tourist dollar
keeps pouring in. In 1987, the
whole of the city of Venice and
its lagoon were collectively
designated a UNESCO World
HeritageSite.
By OluwafunmilayO ajala
GONDOLAS
This Northern Italian
destination is one
of the world’s oldest
tourist and cultural
centres
A street market in the city PHOTOs By OluWAfunmilAyO AjAlA