Venice: Art of a Sinking City

The city of Venice is built on a series of small islands. The islands are in a lagoon, or an area of shallow water, off the coast of Italy. Many people use boats to get around the city. They travel on water-filled canals instead of on paved streets. Narrow alleyways called calli run between buildings for people traveling on foot. More than 400 bridges help people cross the waterways.

Every year millions of tourists come to see the canals, marble palaces, and art museums of Venice. The Basilica of Saint Mark and the Doges' Palace are world-famous buildings in Venice. Works by the painters Titian (TISH en), Tintoretto, and Veronese are displayed at the Academy of Fine Arts.

Although Venice is a beautiful and interesting city, its location can cause problems. The city often floods and water damages the buildings. One big problem is that the city is gradually sinking.

Scientists are studying old paintings of Venice to find out how fast the city is sinking. By comparing the water level in the canals today with the water level shown in the paintings, scientists have learned that the city has sunk more than two feet since 1727.

Painting the Past

To find out that number and date, scientists studied eight paintings by an artist named Canaletto and three by his nephew, all done in the 1700s. Both artists made very realistic paintings. They even drew algae that grew on the buildings in Venice!

Scientists don't know whether Venice will ever completely sink into the lagoon, but many scientists are trying to find a way to save the city. Some of them want to build floodgates around Venice. The gates will rise and lower as the water level changes. The scientists hope the gates will protect the beautiful city.