How many canals are there in Venice? Why do the canals in Venice smell? What are the canals in Venice famous for? What are the names of the 3 main canals in Venice? Before I tell you about the canals in Venice, you should know that the city is divided into 6 areas based on their location and the types of communities living in each area.
The History of the Venetian Canal System
The Venetian canal system is not just a series of canals that run through one of Italy’s most famous tourist destinations. The canals are what make Venice stand out as unique and why tourists flock to it from all over the world. Understanding a bit about how and why those canals were built, along with some of their history, can help you better appreciate one of Europe’s truly amazing cities. Here are three interesting facts about these historic waterways
Venice Italian
The city of Venice, Italy is located on a lagoon known as the Venetian Lagoon. The island of San Giorgio Maggiore is also considered part of Greater Venice. In all, 118 smaller islands make up Greater Venice. More than one hundred channels connect these islands to the mainland (the Terraferma).
The Modern Importance of the Canals
If you were to describe, in detail, an Italian city – from its architecture to its culture – one of your first descriptors would be Venice. The same is true for canals. Ask any individual about Italy, and chances are that one of their first questions will be, Do you have canals there? This innate curiosity comes from Italy’s unique history: it has more than 400 kilometers (250 miles) of navigable inland waterways. Italy is among just three countries with more than 1% of its territory made up of water (the other two are Finland and Sweden). While most tourists associate Italian canals with Venice, they exist throughout much of northern Italy as well. But what exactly is a canal?
Interesting Facts About The Venetian Canal System
Venice is full of canals which is why it’s often called The City of Water. The city was built on a group of 117 small islands. To connect the islands, there are about 400 bridges and 118 miles of waterways. It wasn’t always like that though. Originally, most Venetians used boats as their primary form of transportation. Then they started building bridges because they were easier to use (and less expensive) than connecting boats with poles and ropes!
The Smell - Causes and Reasons
Just as a house has its distinct smell, so does each of Venice’s many canals. You can tell which district you are in just by taking a whiff. The majority of them (there are 118) have their unique scent. Most believe that it is due to stagnant water or algae but they may be wrong on both counts. The canal smells like sewage because it is sewage. Yes, that’s right; Venice dumps all of its waste into its canals – human waste included! It’s not quite as bad as it sounds though because there are two wastewater treatment plants located at either end of town where most of the filth gets cleaned up before being dumped into the sea. So if you don't mind a bit of poop with your Venetian experience then go ahead and take a dip!
The Names of The Main 3 Canals
The 3 main canals of Venice are Grand Canal, Giudecca Canal, and Rio di Palazzo. The grand canal is one of 2 main canals. It runs through Central Venice about 1.5 miles (2.4 miles) about half the length of the whole of Venice. At regular intervals, you’ll find gondolas as well as other water taxis traveling back and forth from one end to another end of its route. This canal is also known as il Canal Grande or Grand Canal in English. The second main canal, known as Rialto Bridge Canal or Rialto Canal, starts at Piazzale Roma (Rome Square) and ends at Santa Lucia Train Station. This canal system was created during Roman times when they built a bridge over it to connect the two banks of Italy. This bridge was known then as Pons Aemilius or Ponte Emilio.
