Saving Venice !
The call to save Venice! has been resounding around the world for decades, and especially after the devastating floods of Venice in the 1960's. The history of Venice is strewn with episodes in which the waters that surround the city have threatened the very existence of the worlds most unique city.
Over the years, experts from around the globe have come to Venice to offer their advise on how to save Venice, along with their theories on how much time Venice has left before the cities buildings collapse and Venice is engulfed by the waters of the Lagoon. Much to the disgust of the Venetians themselves who are a little tired hearing of all the different ways to resolve their city's problems.
Money has poured into the city to save its precious buildings and works of Art that have been threatened by the rising tides of the Venetian lagoon. For centuries, the Venetians have taken simple but effective measures through which they hope to hold back the forces of mother nature.
Even today, canals are being regular dredged of silt and debris to increase the depth of the canals with the aim of lowering the water levels. The quaysides, and walkways that line the canals have also been heightened in an attempt to reduce the risk of flooding.
But, now history is in the making as work goes ahead on the celebrated “Moses Project” to create flood gates that presumably will hold back the tides preventing Venice from flooding. The cost of the project is quite staggering, and in our current economical climate with inflation running at an all time high, heaven knows what the final cost will be for a project that many Venetians don't want.
The possible repercussions of this project were barely discussed as both the Italian Government and private contractors pushed-on to make their project a reality. The Venetian Lagoon is the largest natural lagoon in Italy, that contains many wildlife refugees with many delicate ecosystems.
How will the new project effect the very nature of the Lagoon? If the tides waters regular channels are blocked by the gates, won't those waters eventually find other routes to enter the lagoon? I guess we'll know the answers to our questions soon!
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