Venice is the city known for canals and built across 118 small islands.
Venice lies in a lagoon in the northern Adriatic Sea, in northeastern Italy. Its islands are connected by hundreds of bridges, while canals serve as waterways through much of the historic city. The Grand Canal is the principal waterway and curves through the urban center in a broad S-shape.
The city developed after communities sought refuge in the lagoon during periods of upheaval on the Italian mainland. Builders drove wooden piles into the lagoon’s sediments to support structures. The unusual foundations helped make dense construction possible in a watery environment.
Venice became the center of the powerful Republic of Venice, a maritime state whose merchants traded across the Mediterranean and beyond. Modern challenges include flooding, rising sea levels, visitor pressure, and the gradual sinking of parts of the lagoon city. Amsterdam also has famous canals, but it is not built across Venice’s island network.