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Venice floats atop millions of tree trunks driven deep into the lagoon's clay base since 421 AD. Not steel or concrete - but mostly alder trees, with some oak, support the entire city.
In the salty waters beneath Venice, these wooden pillars turned as hard as stone over centuries. St. Mark's Bell Tower alone stands on 100,000 logs, while the grand Basilica della Salute required over a million.
The ancient builders would pound these tree trunks deep into the seabed, creating a hidden forest beneath the waves. Once submerged, the wood fossilized into an unshakeable foundation that has held Venice above water for over 1,500 years. 🏛️
This underwater woodland of petrified trees stretches three meters down, with posts spaced just half a meter apart. Hidden 1.6 meters below the waterline, this remarkable feat of medieval engineering continues to support one of the world's most beautiful cities.
In the salty waters beneath Venice, these wooden pillars turned as hard as stone over centuries. St. Mark's Bell Tower alone stands on 100,000 logs, while the grand Basilica della Salute required over a million.
The ancient builders would pound these tree trunks deep into the seabed, creating a hidden forest beneath the waves. Once submerged, the wood fossilized into an unshakeable foundation that has held Venice above water for over 1,500 years. 🏛️
This underwater woodland of petrified trees stretches three meters down, with posts spaced just half a meter apart. Hidden 1.6 meters below the waterline, this remarkable feat of medieval engineering continues to support one of the world's most beautiful cities.
