Cleaning of canals in Venice 1956

GON

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Found this an interesting article. It would have been great to have a photo of all the artifacts and unique items found during the cleaning in the canals.

In 1956, an extraordinary event took place in Venice, Italy, when the famous canals of the city were drained and cleaned for the first time in centuries. This remarkable undertaking was known as the "Svolte di Popolazio," or the People's Revolution, and it was a massive civic project aimed at improving the sanitation and infrastructure of Venice's historic waterways.

Over the centuries, the canals of Venice had accumulated layers of silt, debris, and waste, leading to unsanitary conditions and posing a threat to the city's architectural heritage. The decision to drain and clean the canals was made in an effort to address these issues, restore the waterways to their former glory, and preserve Venice's unique cultural and historical identity.

The draining and cleaning of the canals required meticulous planning, coordination, and labor-intensive work by a team of engineers, workers, and volunteers. Water was pumped out of the canals, revealing the muddy bottom and hidden treasures beneath the surface, such as lost artifacts, sunken boats, and centuries-old structures.

As the canals were emptied, the cleanup crews set to work removing tons of sediment, debris, and rubbish that had accumulated over the years. The process involved dredging, scrubbing, and excavating the canals to remove the layers of detritus and restore the waterways to their original depth and clarity.

The draining and cleaning of the canals in 1956 was a monumental effort that captured the attention and admiration of Venetians and visitors alike. The project not only improved the sanitation and aesthetic appeal of the canals but also highlighted the importance of preserving Venice's unique heritage and architectural marvels for future generations to enjoy.

The event symbolized a sense of civic pride, community effort, and commitment to the preservation of Venice's cultural legacy. The draining and cleaning of the canals in 1956 remains historic.



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Downstream from the Paris we all see in pictures, is a patch of parallel canals built to accommodate industry.
Part of that canal zone was drained and cleaned and the variety of stuff they pulled out, while less intriguing than ancient iterations of Venice, was fascinating.
There was what looked like a prehistoric flounder -with odd spikes and weird fins all over it- still alive. I hope they took it somewhere and bred it.

Then again, there was that one tough fish dinner I had....
 
As a Venetian I lived there till I was 18 This is Nothing New!
It's part of the periodic canals maintenance/dredging which is needed to keep
the canals healthy and to fix problems with the foundation of buildings.
I've never seen any machinery being used, though some may be used at the mouth of the canal
as there is room for it, but into the canals there is not enough clearance under the bridges for it to pass.
Venice has no sewers, when it was built the tide took care of sewage twice daily. The Republic of Venice had a whole
department looking after this. But originally everything was biodegradable not so much these days, also the people in
power (not as clever as the old ones) dredged the lagoon and altered the flow of currents which created a whole new
set of problems. The high tide was also man-made when they syphoned the natural gas which provided pressure to
keep the floor of the lagoon at a certain level. This was after WW1, they tried to correct this by pumping water in the sub-soil
but it never worked. BTW you don't want to be around when they dredge the canals unless you are olfactorily challenged ;):eek:
 
I went to Europe in 1998 on a 10 day stay and stayed in Amsterdam for 2 days and then Innsbruck for the remaining time. During our stay in Innsbruck, we took a day trip to Venice and initially I had no desire to take a gondola ride throughout the canals but I am so glad I did! That was probably the best part of the trip with the exception of Innsbruck (and maybe Amsterdam!).

Venice has such a unique charm and floating along on the canals was an experience I will never forget. We were always told that the water in the canals was extremely dirty and not to come in contact with it but it was oh so beautiful. What I would give to go do that entire tour again!
 
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As a Venetian I lived there till I was 18 This is Nothing New!
It's part of the periodic canals maintenance/dredging which is needed to keep
the canals healthy and to fix problems with the foundation of buildings.
I've never seen any machinery being used, though some may be used at the mouth of the canal
as there is room for it, but into the canals there is not enough clearance under the bridges for it to pass.
Venice has no sewers, when it was built the tide took care of sewage twice daily. The Republic of Venice had a whole
department looking after this. But originally everything was biodegradable not so much these days, also the people in
power (not as clever as the old ones) dredged the lagoon and altered the flow of currents which created a whole new
set of problems. The high tide was also man-made when they syphoned the natural gas which provided pressure to
keep the floor of the lagoon at a certain level. This was after WW1, they tried to correct this by pumping water in the sub-soil
but it never worked. BTW you don't want to be around when they dredge the canals unless you are olfactorily challenged ;):eek:

It looks like the dredging boats they use can fit under the bridges. Obviously there should be greater clearance when they're loaded with spoils. It looks like the dredging arm can stow away pretty nicely.

IMG_20211201_143403-blog-dredging.jpg


The big controversy over dredging is where the spoils go. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and every time the Port of Oakland gets dredged, there's controversy over where it gets dumped. I think now there's discussion about using the spoils for restoring shoreline erosion.
 
It looks like the dredging boats they use can fit under the bridges. Obviously there should be greater clearance when they're loaded with spoils. It looks like the dredging arm can stow away pretty nicely.

IMG_20211201_143403-blog-dredging.jpg


The big controversy over dredging is where the spoils go. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and every time the Port of Oakland gets dredged, there's controversy over where it gets dumped. I think now there's discussion about using the spoils for restoring shoreline erosion.
That water looks a lot like liquid gray paint...
 
I went to Europe in 1998 on a 10 day stay and stayed in Amsterdam for 2 days and then Innsbruck for the remaining time. During our stay in Innsbruck, we took a day trip to Venice and initially I had no desire to take a gondola ride throughout the canals but I am so glad I did! That was probably the best part of the trip with the exception of Innsbruck (and maybe Amsterdam!).

Venice has such a unique charm and floating along on the canals was an experience I will never forget. We were always told that the water in the canals was extremely dirty and not to come in contact with it but it was oh so beautiful. What I would give to go do that entire tour again!

Venice is an amazing place that I'm glad I was able to see, if just once, but it's so crowded, and being loved to death. Like an adult amusement park of sorts.

Even the smaller outlying islands, like Burano, which Rick Steves once promoted as a respite, was crowded. But at least staying in a rental on the northern shore did offer a better, quieter glimpse of life there. Didn't do the gondola thing, just the vaporetto. Of course, they, and walking are the primary ways to get around.

Going from Venice, to Verona, up through the Brenner Pass into Austria and Germany is a nice trip in itself, in another beautiful part of the world.

Amsterdam is also a cool city.
 
Certainly world heritage sites popular with tourists are not being created at a rate sufficient to satisfy the throngs of visitors. It will be interesting to see what they come up with in Venice but we may end up with a Holland 2.0 on our hands.

ACA9B7B8-8E18-48C9-B650-CA4202397444.jpeg
 
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