Venice is the Italian city known as the City of Canals.
Venice occupies 118 small islands in the shallow Venetian Lagoon, a body of water connected to the Adriatic Sea. The islands are linked by hundreds of bridges, while canals serve as waterways through historic districts. The Grand Canal is the city’s principal waterway and follows a broad S-shaped route through Venice.
The city developed as communities sought refuge in the lagoon during the turbulent centuries after the decline of the Western Roman Empire. Wooden piles driven into the lagoon’s sediment support many historic buildings; these foundations are protected from ordinary decay because they remain in oxygen-poor conditions below the waterline.
Venice became a powerful maritime republic and a major centre of trade, diplomacy and art. Its historic centre and lagoon are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Venice’s famous gondolas are traditional rowing boats, but public water buses called vaporetti are vital to daily transport.