7 May 2025
,Sweden
Venice is a legendary city of canals that stands on thousands of wooden piles driven into soft, marshy soil more than 1600 years ago. It was this invisible but powerful structure that made it possible to build stone buildings on the water and preserve them to this day. The “inverted forest” hidden beneath the surface of the lagoon is the key to the city's longevity, which still amazes the world with its architectural heritage.
The city is based on piles of alder, oak, and larch, trees that are naturally resistant to moisture and decay. Their use was thoughtful and strategic: alder, for example, hardens in water, oak is resistant to mechanical stress, and larch is extremely resistant to fungi.
The piles are immersed deep in the lagoon soil, where low oxygen content prevails. This creates conditions in which microorganisms responsible for wood decay can hardly exist. In a normal oxygenated environment, the wood would have decomposed in a few decades and Venice might have remained just a page in history.
In addition, the lagoon's salt water stabilizes the temperature and protects the wood from decay. This natural preservation, complemented by a carefully considered choice of materials, has turned the piles into an extremely strong foundation that successfully withstands both time and the elements.
This engineering know-how has not disappeared without a trace; it has been passed down from generation to generation by master builders who have created a unique tradition of working with foundations. Their knowledge and experience have become the basis for modern research and preservation of the city.
A special role in this process was played by “battipali” - specialists in pile driving. Their work was not only physical, but also cultural: they sang traditional songs as they worked, adding another note to the rich musical and social fabric of Venice. This tradition is a living testament to how technical skill and culture can come together in a harmonious, holistic heritage.
It is thanks to this unique engineering system and the continuity of tradition that Venice has preserved not only its physical form, but also its soul - through the centuries, the tides and the storms of history.
