Venice, one of the most iconic cities in the world, was founded in the 5th century on a lagoon where traditional foundations were impossible.
To build on such soft, unstable ground, early Venetians drove millions of wooden piles deep into the mud and clay.
These wood pilings, often made from water-resistant alder, oak, elm, and larch, were submerged in an oxygen-deprived environment that prevented decay.
Over time, the wood hardened into a stone-like consistency, creating a remarkably stable base.
On top of this, they laid stone platforms, which now support marble palaces, basilicas, and entire neighborhoods that seem to float on water.
The system was so effective that buildings like St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace still stand today on their original wooden foundations.
This ingenious engineering allowed Venice to thrive as a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, dominating trade between Europe and the East.
The city’s layout of canals instead of roads, paired with its resilient foundation system, helped it adapt to its aquatic environment in a way no other city had before.
Even today, modern engineers marvel at how medieval builders created such a lasting solution without modern tools.
Though the city now faces new challenges from rising sea levels, its thousand-year-old wooden spine remains one of history’s great architectural feats.
