What are the facts about Venice? Most people think of canals and gondolas when they think of Venice, but there are a lot more other interesting facts and features about this old Italian city. Learn more about Venice, and its history and unique geography in this article.

The city of Venice dates back the mid 400s, making it more than 1500 years old. It was a major power in the region between 1300 and 1500, when the Venetian Republic was spread over much more territory through Croatian Histria, Dalmatia and the Greek Islands. Their empire began to fall at the end of the 1700s when much of their territory was handed to Austria and Napoleon.

Venice is built on a group of 118 islands off the coast, in the Mediterranean Sea though many buildings are actually constructed on pilings rather than on the land itself. Across this lagoon of islands, you will find 416 bridges and 177 canals. The S-shaped Grand Canal divides the city in two. Over this one canal, there are 3 ancient bridges still in use: Accademia, Scalzi (Ferrovia) and Rialto bridge. The Calatrava bridge is only 4 years old but is already starting to deteriorate.

Not all the impressive statistics are about the water though. Through the city, there are 170 church bell towers and more than 7,000 chimneys. The tallest tower in Venice is the San Marco bell tower, which reaches 275 feet. It was originally built in the 12th century but had to be reconstructed in 1902 after a collapse.

More than 18 million people come to visit Venice every year and 350 gondolas are there to ferry them about the city. The city is divided into quarters, or sestieri. They are San Polo, Dorsoduro, Castello, San Marco, Santa Croce and Cannaregio.

Though it is a prospering city and tourist destination, Venice is not without its problems. Slowly but surely, the city is actually sinking and the high water floods (known locally as acqua alta) are becoming more frequent. Many of the buildings are in poor condition, and the additional flooding is making the problem worse.

The high water generally happens in November and December, when the tides in the region are just right. Some of the more problematic facts about Venice indeed concern the water situation. Flooding has become enough of a problem that the historic city has started to build movable barriers to help keep the water levels under control during the high tide periods.