When most people think of Italy, it is Venice that they are picturing.
With its canals and gondolas, Venice is the epitome of the Romantic
Italy. Venice stretches across many small islands in the marshy
Venetian Lagoon, along the Adriatic Sea. Located in northeast Italy,Venice
is laid out between the mouths of the Po River to its south and the Piave
River to its north.
Since it is such a popular
spot for tourists, Venice has seen an increase in overcrowding over
the years. This fact, combined with the pollution of the canals have caused
many citizens to leave the city for good. Combined with the idea that Venice
is slowly sinking into the Adriatic Sea, these facts may cause many to
forgo a visit to Venice, and instead tour one of the
other historic cities in Italy. Venice, however, is not just another
historic city. The total of 116 islands connected by 409 bridges stands
to represent the most famous urban landscaping in the entire world. There
are no words that you can read or hear, nor any pictures that you can see
that will prepare you for the glorious city that is Venice.
In Venice, even fire
engines and ambulances are in the form of boats. The unattractive pavement
and clogged streets that you find in other cities of the world are replaced
in Venice by canals and lagoons that reach out to every point in
the city. Just sitting in a gondola, viewing the cities many grandiose
buildings will easily give you the feel of Venice as it was in centuries
past. Venice has remained virtually unchanged from its ancient days.
The threats to the city come not from marauders and rivals, but from its
very nature. The sinking and pollution are problems that are far from being
remedied. The intense Mediterranean summer heat mixed with the numerous
tourists have forced many native Venetians to find other homes. However,
the beauty of this magnificent city, in addition to the sheer romanticism
of it, has proven to keep Venice alive.
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