For the Italian city of Venice, floods are a common occurrence. This fact makes the recent sharp drop in the water levels of the city’s canals all the more surprising. And we’re talking about a rather unpleasant surprise here. For one thing, you cannot ride those beautiful gondolas on dry land. The only positive aspect of the situation is that there are plenty of opportunities for taking unique photos!
Today Bright Side presents you with a collection of amazing pictures from the center of Venice (taken on January 31 and February 1, 2018).
Several factors have led to the decrease of the water level: cold weather, lack of rainfall, and the recent supermoon (January 31, 2018), which affected the tides.
Photos taken this week show Venice in a decidedly unattractive light. The boats and gondolas, bogged down in silt and mud, don’t look particularly romantic.
In some places, the canal level has dropped by almost 2 ft. It is the third year in a row that Venice has experienced such an unusual drought. By the way, a record drop in water levels was recorded in 1934 — it amounted to 4 ft.
The drying out of the canals led not only to a traffic collapse and temporary loss of income for gondoliers and water taxi drivers but also highlighted much more serious problems as well.
Such periods of drought can lead to the deterioration of the exposed brickwork at the foundations of Venice’s centuries-old historical buildings.
The unpleasant natural phenomenon struck right in time for the annual Venice Carnival, which will take place from January 27 to February 13. Numerous tourists have flocked to the city, and, naturally, they’re disappointed to find it in such a dreary state.
We hope that the situation will improve very soon and that the canals will once again fill with water and allow the gondoliers to return to their picturesque, tourist-pleasing trade.
Bonus: This is what a flood in Venice looks like!
Would you like to be there right now to see these unusual weather conditions for yourself? Have you ever been to Venice? If so, what was the state of the canals back then? Tell us in the comments!
Preview photo credit Colombina Hotel Venice / facebook.com, Colombina Hotel Venice / facebook.com
