venice

venicethecityofwater课文

Venice,thecityofwonders,surroundedbywater,

majesticchurchesandincredibleartpiecesis

s

cathedralsandbyzantineinfluencedartthisunique

Italiancityisworld-knowforitsartandforthe

gorgeousannualcarnivalthatattractstouristsand

yin

itlfisahistoricalandartisticpatrimonyforthe

floodsandearthsubsidenceare

beeariousthreattothemarvelousVenice.

ThetraditionaldateforthefoundationofVeniceis

A.D.421,yetthereisnoofficialauthentic

thof

thisastonishingcityisaconquenceofthefallof

theWesternRomanEmpirecaudbynortherninvasions.

WhileConstantinoplewasthecapitaloftheEastern

Empire,RomewasthecentrecityoftheWesternEmpire.

Initially,thelagoonislandswereconsidereda

temporaryplaceofrefugeawayfromtheHunsorGoths

bardinvasionin568,contributedto

transformthewatercityfromatemporaryasylumtoan

lly,the

islandofVenicewaspodof“lowmudbanks,barely

risingabovethea”(Source:).Thelandswere

disastrousforagriculture,andfishingwastheonly

ethis

inconvenient,theaportofVenicehadanextremely

importantstrategicpositionformerceandtheEastern

ough,thelocalpeoplesawthepotential

ofthisstrategicgeographicallocationandthey

startedtoprotecttheira-bornetradeatallcosts.

Gradually,“theformationofthecanalsstartedwith

thede-sittingofwaterwaysinthedeltatoallow

veslstopass,”(Source:)andVenicebecamean

atofdifferentinvasionsandinfluences,thiscity

remainedunderAustrianruleuntiltheendofthe19th

waragainstAustria,Venicewas

finallyunitedtothekingdomofItalia.

FortheVenetianpeople,waterhasbeenaprecious

giftbutalsoasortofcurwhoregularlythreatens

the13thcenturythecityhassporadicallybeentaken

allenonrecent

photographsinthenewspapers,peoplewithrubber

boots,andwateruptotheirkneesinStMarkSquare.

Theacquaalta(isabinationofasonaltidesand

oonisconnected

withtheAdriatica,andthereforethelagoonbasin

experiencestwohightidesandtwolowtidevery

day”(Source:).Globalwarmingisresponsibleforthe

meltingofthepolaricecapsthatareconquently

ing

alevelsareaglobalconcernfortheworld’s

environmentandadirectthreattothehightidesthat

’s

Basilica.

Globalwarmingandtherisingleveloftheaisnot

theonlyenvironmentalproblemfacingVenice,also

called“LaSerenissima”(inreferencetoitstitle

inVenetian,theMostSereneRepublic).Earth

subsidenceisathreattothecitythatisslowly

“wasbuiltuponlowlyingsaltmarsh

islands”thatareslowlycrumblingandcausingthe

enturythelandwouldsinkonly

byafewcentimeters,yetinthepastdecadeslocal

1950s,

mainlandindustriesstartedtoextractfreshwater

fromartesianwells,withoutrealizingthatthe

majorityofthefreshwaterlaybelowthecityof

ybegantosinkatalarmingrateswhen

waterextractionprocedurewasputonholdinorderto

prervethemajesticcityofmarble.

Inordertocontainthesituationandsavethefuture

ofVenice,along-termplancalledtheMOSEproject

itiativeto

bepletedin2012,wantstocreatecustom-made

barriersattheVenicelagoon-entrance.“The

barriersaredesignedtorestontheaflooruntil

Veniceisthreatenedbyanacquaaltaevent”(Source:).

TheMOSEprojectprentsmanyproblematicsfroman

he

passingofdecadestheprojectstillremains

unfinishedwhileenvironmentalgroupsprentsthe

concernsaboutthethreattotheecosystemofthe

lagoon.

Thiscityhasmanagedtosurvivethroughtheupsand

downsofclimatechange,warsandindustrialization.

Theculturalbaggagehiddenineverychurchormarble

architecturalpieceneedstobesafeguardedand

gneedstobefoundandalong-term

sustainableprojectthatisperhapsmoreupdatedthan

MOSEneedstobeputtogetherandlaunchedassoonas

possible.

(Morephotoson)