Venice

A city built on 118 islands with canals instead of roads/Everyday Places

Venice is a city in northeastern Italy built on 118 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea, connected by over 400 bridges. Instead of roads, the city relies on a network of 177 canals, the largest being the Grand Canal at 3.8 kilometers long and up to 90 meters wide. The city covers about 7.1 square kilometers (the historic islands only, not the mainland). Founded in the 5th century by Romans fleeing barbarian invasions, Venice became one of the greatest maritime republics. Buildings rest on millions of wooden piles driven into the soft lagoon bed. The city sinks at a rate of about 1-2 millimeters per year and faces increasing acqua alta (high water) flooding events.