Venice: Building Beauty from a Swamp

Venice, one of the world's most beautiful cities, was born of a peculiar idea: the desire to build a city in the middle of the water.

Emerging 1,500 years ago out of the mud of a marshy lagoon, Venice has managed to rise above the sea’s challenges ever since. The city’s founders knew what they were doing: the water’s relentless threat is also the source of the city’s fortune and worldwide influence.

But it takes constant vigilance. Over the centuries, Venice has had to invent and innovate, finding new technical solutions to keep the city vital, vibrant, and dry without sacrificing its soul. 

How did such an unlikely architectural masterpiece as Venice happen in the first place? What pioneering techniques did the Venetians develop to make it work? And how will the centuries-old city keep up with changing times and a changing climate? More than ever, Venetians will need to deploy some exceptional solutions against the rising sea.

Come join the investigation as the world's leading experts, aided by computer-generated images, plumb the depths of Venetian history to discover the secrets behind the construction of this city and its strategy for the future.