32 Interesting Facts About Venice, Italy [True facts]

The Main Venice Facts

1. Venice is built on 10 million underwater logs

You’re probably wondering how was Venice built.

Well, in 402, the settlers cut down trees from the forests of Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro, and carried them to Venice. There, they made 1,106,657 wooden stakes, measuring 4 meters each (13 feet).

They then sunk the logs underwater, to create a basis for the city. On top of the logs, they built wooden platforms, and then constructed the buildings on top of the platforms.

 In total, the whole process took 2 years; pretty impressive when you think about it!

2. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, Venice has many gorgeous monuments

Venice was listed as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1987. It includes the lagoon, and some of the stunning monuments found in the city center.

Here are the main monuments in Venice:

• Saint Mark’s Basilica, on the St Mark’s Square
• The Doge’s Palace, built in 1424 and old residence of the Doge, Venice leader
• Rialto Bridge, the oldest bridge spanning the Grand Canal

3. Venice is actually made of 118 islands

The city of Venice is not one island. It’s actually 118 small islands, all linked together by bridges.

The island of Lido in the south is famous for its long sandy beach, and many of the islands have a different feel.

4. There are over 400 bridges in Venice

The bridges are, with the canals and the gondolas, one of the symbols of Venice.

While no one seems to agree on the exact number of bridges in the city, there is a general consensus around 400 bridges, including private bridges.

The far majority of the bridges are made of stone (300), then around 60 are made of iron, and finally the rest are wooden bridges.

At first, the bridges were built without steps, to make it easy for horses and carriages to cross them; now most bridges have steps.

The Rialto Bridge in Venice

5. There are no roads in Venice

That’s a cool fact about Venice: there are no roads in the city!

Sure, you can drive in Venice, by crossing the Ponte della Libertà. But you can only go so far as right after the bridge, and you’ll have to park in one of the few big parking lots at the entrance of the city.

To get to the rest of the city and explore Venice, you can’t drive, because there are no roads in Venice.

6. There are 150 canals in the city

The main way to get around Venice is either by foot, or by boat using the canals. 

In total, there are around 150 canals in the city, but some estimate that there are as much as 177.

The main canal is the Canal Grande, that splits Venice in 2.

Most of the canals are not very deep, around 2 meters (6.5 feet). The 2 main canals in the city are a bit deeper: Canal Grande is 5 meters deep (16 feet) and the Canale della Giudecca is 15 meters deep (49 feet).

View over the Canal Grande

7. The San Marco bell tower collapsed in 1902, and was rebuilt exactly the same

The St Mark’s Campanile is one of the main landmarks in Venice; this 50 meters tall tower (160 feet) was built in 1514, after close to 350 years of construction.

In 1902, the tower collapsed. The very same day, the city decided on the reconstruction of the tower.

Finally, on April 25th 1912, the new tower was inaugurated, a faithful copy of the original campanile.

The campanile di San Marco

8. Venice is sinking every year

The city, built on wooden logs, is extremely heavy. This causes the city to slowly compress the mud below, and it sinks at a rate of 1 to 2 mm per year (0.04 to 0.08 inches).

Since the beginning of the 20th century, it’s estimated that the city sunk about 120 mm (4.7 inches).

So, if you want to visit Venice one day, do it soon if you can! 

9. Venice has lost half of its population in 50 years

In 1950, there were around 174,000 people living in Venice.

In 2018, only 53,000 remained.

This massive exodus is caused in part by over tourism, with crowds of visitors making it hard to live in the city and all of the prices going up; and in part by the constant floods, that are happening more and more frequently in recent years.

10. Venice was an independent state for over 1,000 years

From 697 to 1797, Venice was an independent state. It was then the Republic of Venice, also known as La Serenissima.

It was one of the major maritime power of Europe, and one of the main cities in Italy during the Renaissance, along with Florence.

11. The first public casino in the world opened in Venice in 1638

When you think about casinos, does Venice come to mind? Probably not.

Well, it should, because the first casino in the world opened in Venice in 1638.

The Casino di Venezia, originally known as Ca’Vendramin Calergi, then became a house for the Italian royalty, and later a vacation home for famous composer Richard Wagner.

Finally, in 1946, the city of Venice bought the building, and opened it as a casino again in 1959; it now hosts the World Poker Tour.

The Casino di Venezia

12. There are around 400 gondolas in Venice

Let’s keep going with these facts about Venice in Italy with a few facts on gondolas.

In the 16th century, there used to be around 10,000 gondolas in Venice. This is a huge amount, but it was the main way of transportation in the city, which is why they were so many.

Today, gondolas are most of a tourist attraction; as such, there are only around 400 gondolas in the city today.

13. You need a professional license to be a gondolier in Venice

In the past, gondolier was a profession that was passed from father to son.

Now, you need a professional license to be a gondolier.

After following the gondolier course, candidates pass the final examination, rowing a gondola during a regular day in Venice. When they pass the exam, the new gondoliers are apprentice, without a license. They can then work as a substitute for a licensed gondolier (and keep 60% of the revenue).

To become a fully licensed gondolier, substitutes will have to either buy a license from a retiring gondolier (we’re talking about multiple six figures to purchase a license), or wait until the city issues more licenses (about 4 each year).

14. Gondolier is an extremely well-paid job

Gondolier is one of the best professions in Italy, and definitely among the most well-paid job in Venice.

A gondolier can earn up to $150,000 per year, with gondola rides priced at a fixed fare of 80€ per 30 minutes.

15. There’s only 1 woman among the gondoliers

The job of gondolier is historically a man’s job.

However, since the 21th century, there is now a female gondolier.

Giorgia Boscolo is the first female gondolier in Venice, and she got her license in August 2010.

16. A law dictates all gondolas to be black

Ok, here comes the last Venice Italy facts about gondolas.

There’s a special law in Venice, that requires all gondolas to be black. The law was passed by the Venice Senate on October 8th 1562, to regulate the crazy pimping wealthy families were doing on their gondolas, to get the most passengers.

However, only work gondolas are required to be black; these are the gondolas used by gondoliers to carry passengers around the city. Gondolas used for leisure or sports can be any color.

17. Floods are frequent in the city

Venice is subject to the acqua alta, a natural phenomenon when high tide combines with strong winds, and results in flood in the city.

These floods are frequent, and they usually happen around 100 times each year. They’re concentrated in winter, and most of the floods are under 80cm (31.5 inches) and do not affect the city.

Around 50 floods per year are between 80cm and 109cm (31.5 to 42.9 inches), and only affect 0.1% of the city. And finally, the big floods are rare, but can reach very high level above 140cm (55in).

Here are the 2 highest floods recorded in Venice:

• November 4th 1966: 194cm | 6.4 feet – 3/4 of the shops, business & studios were damaged or destroyed
• November 12th 2019: 187cm | 6.1 feet – 85% of the city was flooded

The flooded Piazza San Marco

18. You’re not allowed to ride a bike in Venice

This is one of the lesser known Italy Venice facts.

Boat rides and walking are the only 2 means of transportation allowed in the city. This means that bikes, skateboards, or roller skates are not allowed in the city.

19. More than 20 million tourists visit Venice each year

Venice is one of the most visited cities in Italy, after Rome and Milan.

Each day in Venice, there are around 60.000 tourists, which amounts to around 22 million tourists per year in the city.

Compared to a population of 53.000, this shows that Venice is slowly becoming a ghost town, only visited by tourists.

20. Venice has over 200 palaces

Venice is mostly famous for the main palace in town, the Doge’s Palace, also known as Palazzo Ducale.

But this is not the only palace in Venice, far from it.

Recent estimates place the number of palaces in the city to 237! Plenty to discover when you explore Venice!

The Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy

21. The Calle Varisco is one of the narrowest streets in the world

Calle Varisco is a street in Venice, and it’s the narrowest street in the city.

The street is only 53cm wide at its narrowest point (20.8 inches); it’s a dead-end, not blocked by a wall but it opens up on a canal.

It’s among the narrowest streets in the world, after the Spreuerhofstrasse in Reutlingen, Germany, measuring only 31cm (12.2 inches).

22. Venice was founded 1,500 years ago

The city was founded by Roman refugees, fleeing the Huns and Germanic attacks in the 5th century.

Construction work started in 402, and the official founding of the city is identified on 25 March 421 with the inauguration of the San Giacomo church.

The Bridge of Sighs, Venice

23. Venezuela, in South America, was named after Venice

When explorer Alonso de Ojeda sailed to Venezuela in 1499, the houses built on Lake Maracaibo reminded him of Venice.

He thus named the country Veneziola, Italian for Little Venice. Venezuela is the Spanish version of Veneziola, the original name.

24. The Venice Carnival is world famous for its elegant masks

The Carnival of Venice is one of the most popular tradition of the city.

It started in 1162, as a celebration for a war victory from Venice. The carnival rose in popularity in the 18th century, and attracted people from all over Europe.

In 1797, the Venice Carnival was made illegal by Austria, who conquered the city back then.

The Italian government restored the carnival in 1979, and has since been a very popular event drawing crowds each year.

25. The word Ciao comes from Venice

Ciao is an Italian word meaning hello and goodbye, and it’s now used frequently in many languages around the world.

The word originally comes from Venice: s-ciào vostro was a greeting used by Venetians, literally meaning “I am your slave“, similar to the “At your service” in the English language.

Over the years, the word was shortened to ciao, and remained the usual greeting in the Italian language.

26. According to local tradition, if a couple in a gondola kiss when passing under a bridge, they will remain in love forever

This is one of the fun facts about Venice Italy.

Tradition has it that if a couple kiss as the gondola passes under a bridge, they will stay in love forever.

Explorer Marco Polo

27. World Explorer Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254

Marco Polo was a merchant and explorer, mostly famous for traveling to Asia, home back then to the Mongol Empire.

He explored China, Persia, India and Burma among other countries, and documented his travels extensively. He inspired countless explorers after he died, including Christopher Columbus.

Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254, and died in Venice on 8 January 1324, at the ripe age of 70.

28. There’s a cursed palace in the city

The Ca’Dario, or Palazzo Dario, is a palaced located along the Grand Canal in Venice.

It’s known as the Cursed Palace, mainly due to its dark history. It’s said that whoever would stay in the palace would either die or go bankrupt.

The curse goes back to the construction of the palace in 1487, and can be tracked back to 2002 when John Entwistle, bassist of rock band “The Who” died when renting the Ca’Dario.

Painting of Ca’Dario by Claude Monet

29. A lot of famous movies were filmed in the city

Due to its very unique condition of floating city, Venice was the perfect location for many movies.

Here is a shortlist of the many movies filmed in Venice:

• Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• James Bond – Moonraker
• James Bond – Casino Royal
• Spider Man : Far from Home

30. Handmade Venetian glass is world famous

In 1204, the great city of Constantinople was attacked, and several artisans fled to Venice. It happened again in 1453, and several more glassworks fled to Venice.

As a result, a glass industry soon developed in Venice, and started to flourish. The city became known for its blown-glass, from jewelry to sculptures, glasses and massive glass chandeliers.

Today, the glass factories are located in Murano, a small island right next to Venice, where world famous Murano glass is produced.

Music composer Antonio Vivaldi

31. Music composer Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice in 1678

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, known as simply Vivaldi, was a musical composer, and one of the most famous in the world at the time.

Among all of his work, his most famous piece is the Four Seasons, a series a violin concertos.

Vivaldi was born in Venice on 4 March 1678 and spend most of his life there, before moving to Vienna and dying there from poverty on 28 July 1741.

32. There are around 500 hidden gardens in the city

And finally, the last of our Venice facts!

Most people don’t know this, but there are actually quite a lot of gardens in the city, around 500.

A vast majority of these hidden gems in Venice are private gardens, out of sight behind walls & facades, but some of them are public and you can visit them. Among the main public gardens, you’ll find the most famous one, the Giardini Reali di Venezia located right next to the main square, but with a secret entrance. 

So there you have them, the 32 interesting facts about Venice Italy!

If you want to learn more about the city, keep reading for some general facts and info. 

General Facts on Venice Italy

You’ll find below a few general facts on Venice Italy, to learn more about this Italian city:

• Name: Venice | Venezia (Italian) | Venesia (Venetian)
• Province: Metropolitan City of Venice
• Region: Veneto
• Land area: 414.57 km² / 160.07 square miles
• Population: 260,897
• Name of inhabitants: Venetian | Veneziano (Italian)
• Website: Venezia Unica

Where is Venice? Venice on a Map

Venice is a city located in the north east of Italy, in the Veneto region. It’s east of Verona, and not far from the border with Slovenia.

Here you can see it on the map, to have a better understanding of where it is in Italy:

Venice Flag

Venice Flag by Derivative work: Facquis / CC BY-SA

More Facts!

Do you want even more facts about Italy?

Check out the following posts:

• Naples facts
• Tuscany facts
• Sicily facts

Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there is A LOT of them.

The Full List of 32 Venice Facts

1. Venice is built on 10 million underwater logs
2. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, Venice has many gorgeous monuments
3. Venice is actually made of 118 islands
4. There are over 400 bridges in Venice
5. There are no roads in Venice
6. There are 150 canals in the city
7. The San Marco bell tower collapsed in 1902, and was rebuilt exactly the same
8. Venice is sinking every year
9. Venice has lost half of its population in 50 years
10. Venice was an independent state for over 1,000 years
11. The first public casino in the world opened in Venice in 1638
12. There are around 400 gondolas in Venice
13. You need a professional license to be a gondolier in Venice
14. Gondolier is an extremely well-paid job
15. There’s only 1 woman among the gondoliers
16. A law dictates all gondolas to be black
17. Floods are frequent in the city
18. You’re not allowed to ride a bike in Venice
19. More than 20 million tourists visit Venice each year
20. Venice has over 200 palaces
21. The Calle Varisco is one of the narrowest streets in the world
22. Venice was founded 1,500 years ago
23. Venezuela, in South America, was named after Venice
24. The Venice Carnival is world famous for its elegant masks
25. The word Ciao comes from Venice
26. According to local tradition, if a couple in a gondola kiss when passing under a bridge, they will remain in love forever
27. World Explorer Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254
28. There’s a cursed palace in the city
29. A lot of famous movies were filmed in the city
30. Handmade Venetian glass is world famous
31. Music composer Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice in 1678
32. There are around 500 hidden gardens in the city

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