Venice is built on wood

When you take in your surroundings and realize that everything is rising out of the sea, the stunning piazzas and lavish structures become even more spectacular. How was the city established on such shifting ground? The region was a murky, marshy lagoon with all the islands dispersed throughout its swampy plains before Venice evolved into what we know it to be today. Early inhabitants had to drain the lagoon and create the canals to make it into the floating metropolis that it is today known as. Because their homes were so much simpler than those of the early settlers, they didn't employ this strategy. They were lightweight and composed of wood, reed, and clay. They just built on the sand-covered islands that were already there. Venice need additional room as its significance grew. As a result, they were forced to construct on the river, where there was no land.

Later, as the palaces grew heavier, a stronger foundation was required. Due to all of this, piling and drainage were required to keep the structures from plunging into the mud. The Romans also built piles, but in Venice, the piles had to be able to withstand harsh weather. So they gradually lengthened and multiplied the wood poles. They lined them with wooden posts or logs, which were also laid on firm clay beneath, to create a barrier. The stakes were subsequently covered with wooden platforms, which were eventually covered with stone. On these pillars are constructed Venice's structures.

How has the wood held up over time? You may assume that the structure would have degraded and the city would have collapsed into the canals. In reality, the oxygen content of the water around Venice is low, making the environment unsuitable for microbes that may decompose the wood. Additionally, the seawater has caused the wood to absorb salt and other minerals, hardening it into a substance with the strength of stone.