Photos of Venice Canal Work

From: Maintaining Venice's Canals

The photos on this page show maintainance work on the San Felice Canal in Cannaregio, just north of the Strada Nova.

The project includes restoration of a bridge, pavement, and foundations in the insula of San Felice, Lotto 1. (Venice's historic center is divided into 40 "insulae," or districts, for integrated public-works projects.)

The view above shows a cofferdam with pumps on top. The hoses in the drained canal were used to suck up water and discharge it on the other side of the dam (small photo).

A barge sits on the muddy bottom of the drained canal, with a small backhoe being used to excavate muck, lift pilings into place, etc.

Wooden walkways give workers access to foundations along the drained canal. (Venice's buildings sit on foundations of Istrian stone--a type of white marble--which are supported by wooden pilings driven down through the mud to a layer of firm, solid clay.)

Traditional wooden pilings are used to replace old pilings that have deteriorated after exposure to air during the renovation project.

Back to: Maintaining Venice's Canals