Have you heard of the ‘essentialism’ of a place before? – I didn’t
until now! It is basically when you focus on one key aspect of the place
instead of looking beyond the surface level. For example, when I think of
Germany, I think of beers! However, I know that Germany has more to offer than
just beers and it’s not like you’re going see everyone holding a beer all the
time!
This made me think about how I might have ‘essentialised’
Venice. I don’t know about you, but when I think of Venice, I think the ‘City
on Water’. I imagine it to be this romantic city where you have the sun setting
as you float down the Grand Canal in a gondola. But, what many people fail to
realise is that it’s a sinking city.
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| Credits: 'Treyson's cool science stuff' Blogspot |
A long time ago, people were escaping barbarian raids by
moving to nearby islands. They soon discovered that they needed to build a
strong foundation to make permanent houses so they drove wooden pilings into
the mud, sand and clay, which has formed Venice to be what it is today! Wood
seems to be weak structure to build upon compared to stone or brick, but it
actually turns into a stone-like structure over time, as it is constantly
submerged in salt water where there is minimal contact to oxygen.
With that being said, the city is starting to sink. Over
time, more and more buildings have been built on this wooden foundation. It is
only natural that the structures would give over time. But to add to this,
there have been more frequent floods in Venice and the water levels are rising
due to global warming.
It makes me worried that Venice doesn’t have long to live
and we’ll be losing this beautiful city!
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