Veniceone of the most fascinating cities in the world, it seems float on the waters of the lagoonbut its existence is based on an ancient engineering masterpiece. The foundations of the city are made up of Millions of wooden poles fixed in the lagoon soila system that has allowed the construction of buildings, churches and bridges without them sinking into unstable soil.
The story of this technique dates back to the fifth century AD, when the inhabitants of nearby lands sought refuge in the lagoon islands to escape the barbarian invasions. To make these swampy areas habitable, an innovative solution was adopted: the construction of Deep foundations based on wooden poles.
These trunks, often of Ontano, larch, oak and pine, were stuck in mud and sand until they reach more compact and stable layers. The wood, constantly immersed in water and oxygen -free, but harden over time, becoming a lasting support.
There is also the problem of brackish water that dates back
The technique of inflammation of the poles provided for the use of heavy tools to beat the wood in the groundcreating a dense support network. Above these posts a layer of stone and wooden tables was then laid, which uniformly distributed the weight of the upper structures.
This method guaranteed stability and resistanceallowing the construction of majestic buildings such as the Basilica of San Marco, the bell tower and the Rialto bridge. For example, it is estimated that the only bell tower of San Marco Poggi on about 100,000 wooden poles.
Despite the apparent eternity of this system, over time they have been observed phenomena of degradationmainly caused by anaerobic bacteria capable of slowly deteriorating the wood immersed in the mud. To counteract this problem, in recent years they have been developed consolidation and alternative construction techniques that provide for the use of modern materials such as concrete.
In addition to the submerged poles, another structural challenge for Venice is represented bybrackish waterwhich dates back to the bricks of the buildings, depositing salts that cause the fracture over time. To protect the buildings, traditionally the Istria stonea compact limestone that prevents the ascent of humidity.
Venice’s extraordinary engineering testifies to human ingenuity in transforming a hostile environment into One of the most iconic and fascinating cities in the worlda unique example of architectural innovation that everyone envies us.
