VENICE

URBAN PLANNING PRINCIPLES AND BRIEF

HISTORY OVERWIEW

THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS
ARNAB MAJUMDER | RADHIKA RAVINDRAN
 HISTORY
THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS

IMAGE SOURCE : (BOOK) Stones of Venice

 IMAGE SOURCE : The Venetian Republic

Patterns Palazzo Ducale IMAGE SOURCE : http://www.churchesofvenice.co.uk/santamariaform1.jpg

The true birth of Venice began with the death of the roman empire. Venice wasn’t a refugee colony of Romans anymore
but a separate culture in itself. It has trade and political ties with the Byzantine Empire which influenced Venetian
architecture a lot.
THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS

Buildings increased in geometric complexity, brick and plaster were used in addition to stone in the decoration of
important public structures, classical orders were used more freely, mosaics replaced carved decoration,
complex domes rested upon massive piers, and windows filtered light through thin sheets of alabaster to softly illuminate
interiors. Most of the surviving structures are sacred in nature, with secular buildings mostly known only through
contemporaneous descriptions.
Okey, T., 1910. Venice and its Story.
 TYPICAL VENETIAN BUILDING
FOUNDATION AND CONSTRUCTION

A layer of plaster is
applied in case of
serious deformation of
the wall

A layer of plaster is
applied to protect the
brick bonding.

Waterproofing partitions

THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS
made of metal pilings
and used in services.
Aggregate curb poured
to sustain embankment Utility for water.
wall. The canals goes as deep as 180cm
at the centre.

IMAGE SOURCE : http://www.venicebackstage.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/pieghevoledid12.gif

 The location of Venice made it difficult for barbarians to
attack and thus, steadily the population of Venice increased
which resulted in the need for a leader. The communities
decided among themselves to elect a leader called as the
doge.
The Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during
the Middle Ages and Renaissance ,as well as a very important
centre of commerce (especially silk, grain, and spice) and art
in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century.

THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS
IMAGE SOURCE : http://www.raremaps.com/maps/medium/21412.jpg http://www.italymagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/313xauto/public/story/01-dogi1.jpg?itok=OPqghw1G

The historical city is divided into six areas or "sestiere" (while the whole comune (municipality) is divided
into 6 boroughs of which one is composed of all 6 sestiere). Each sestiere was administered by
a procurator and his staff. Nowadays each sestiere is a statistic and historical area without any degree of
autonomy.

Each sestiere has its own house numbering system. Each house has a unique number in the district, from
one to several thousand, generally numbered from one corner of the area to another, but not usually in a
readily understandable manner.
Province of Venice (red) Brown, H., 1893. Venice: A Historical Sketch of the Republic

THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS
 ,
Santa Maria Della Salute St.Marks http://www.dailyventure.com/media/highres/venice_stMarks_square.jpg
http://media3.web.britannica.com/eb-media/08/20208-004C237A02B.jpg

The unique fusion resulted in a style of

architecture called the Italo-Byzantine
style. St. Mark’s basilica and the doge’s
palace were built in this style. Thus
Venice had its own identity and culture
and thrived because of its trade and
THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS

location. Venetians realised that the

sea was their prime source of
sustenance and even had a festival
called marriage to the sea where they
celebrated their supremacy over the
sea and same time the sea’s necessity
for its survival.
http://www.wpclipart.com/buildings/architecture/Byzantine_architecture.png http://yalepress.yale.edu/images/full13/9780300052947.jpg
 HISTORY

IMAGE SOURCE : http://famouswonders.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/st-mark-square.jpg

St. Mark’s square
The venetians were rich and thriving and when the renaissance came, most venetians lavishly
spent on patronage of art (which was more connected to byzantine style rather than revival of
roman style like rest of Italy) and they realised that their city could itself be a work of art. the St.
Mark’s square was made along with many other buildings.
Various, 1901. With the world's great travellers. CHARLES MORRIS ed. Chicago: Union Book Company
IMAGE SOURCE : http://veniceatlas.epfl.ch/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Gentile_Bellini_004.jpg http://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/1.168056.1328741024!/image/
2356603521.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_804/2356603521.jpg

In the modern world,

Venice realised that it had
been aloof with the
development of the rest of
Europe and it was slowly
decaying as it couldn’t
keep up with the more
modern industrial and
political changes in Europe
THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS

mostly because of its

location. They had 6 month

CULTURE
long carnivals and the
venetian society was
considered crazy.
http://venise.mbam.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/VEN_0264_g-1030x824.jpg
 URBAN PLANNING
• By the end of the 5th Century, Venice already had a large population count but with a peaceful life
• Main occupation was Fishing and trading of salts, they were also good navigators
• With the invasion of people from England back in 568 A.D, this whole peaceful community, social and
economic condition changed drastically.
• It caused two flows of emigrations: the first one to the South, through Grado, along the shores, and the
second one toward the lagoon islands.

URBAN PLANNING AT EARLY STAGE IN VENICE

• Venice, not at all like just about the various cities, during its history
has not experienced radical changes in its city planning and
building design and has constantly kept up, since its
establishment, the same structure.

• The founders of Venice were used to have a high standard of living

and they needed to make around themselves an extravagance
setting.

• That is the reason the Venetian culture of the first hundreds of

years had a different feature: it was aristocratic however in the
meantime occupied with business, military and managerial
exercises.

Venezia, B., 2009. How Venice Was Born : a Brief Outline. [Online] IMAGE SOURCE : http://people.umass.edu/latour/Italy/VeniceUrbanHistory/venice%204.jpg
 • In the event of looking at the old plan of Venice done by Venetian Architect Tommaso Temanza, likely
dated around the middle of the ninth century, with a present one, we find that Venice's geography step
by step amplified yet never showed signs of change drastically.

• Venice created without an exact geometrical plan: its town planning structure is not the aftereffect of a
pre-set undertaking; it has dependably been identified with the necessities of its life, the character of
sea and isolated city, the movement of its populace, its method for transport.
Okey, T., 1910. Venice and its Story.

IMAGE SOURCE(S)
http://www.editionsdanielderveaux.fr/WebRoot/Orange/Shops/30e1dd72-9483-11e3-9284-000d609a287c/5373/5023/B0C5/3FCE/650D/0A0C/05E9/259E/MB_Plan_de_Venise_1568.jpg
http://www.bravenice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/sinking.jpg
 THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS

• While dry land was only the place where houses

FEATURES

stood, water was the fulcrum of life: that’s why the

building structure is tightly linked to this element and
every house has its landing place.

IMAGE SOURCE : (BOOK) Stones of Venice

• The town planning of the Venice is rather elementary:

the city develops along the S-shaped Grand Canal, the
main channel of communication.
• This famous water way, considered the most beautiful
street in the world, is the backbone of the city.
• When city life wasn’t yet politically and
socially organized, canals turned out to
be not only commercial ways but also
ways for external assaults: for this reason
the most ancient churches and districts
rise in inner areas and never along
canals.

Mallner, L., 2004. Venice Urban History. [Online]

IMAGE SOURCE : http://static.flickr.com/99/284520554_d40834e9ab.jpg

 THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS

Piazza San Marco Plan - Piazza San Marco Ponte di rialto

• Since the beginning, there have been two main points of city life: Rialto,
commercial point, and San Marco, political and religious point.
• In the 11th century, the city developed on the left bank of the Grand Canal,
here there was the market, a place of great importance for a society most
consisting of merchants. This part of the city was linked to the others,
Santa Maria Formosa and San Marco, through water ways. This system of
communication characterized the peculiar development of the city and
Santa Maria Formosa strongly influenced urban life. Davis J. H., 1973.

IMAGE SOURCE(S) : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Venice_-_Piazza_San_Marco.jpg

http://www.learn.columbia.edu/treasuresofheaven/shrines/Venice/Piazza-San-Marco-1831-circle.jpg
http://www.mrwallpaper.com/wallpapers/ponte-di-rialto-venice.jpg
http://www.churchesofvenice.co.uk/santamariaform1.jpg
 IMAGE SOURCE : http://www.friendsofart.net/static/images/art1/jacopo-de-barbari-plan-of-venice.jpg

• In the 9th and 10th centuries, the city structure passed through many phases, consequent on different economical
DEVELOPMENT AND

conditions.

• When city life wasn’t yet politically and socially organized, canals turned out to be not only commercial ways but also ways
for external assaults: for this reason the most ancient churches and districts rise in inner areas and never along canals.
PLANNING

• The most important stage in Venice’s town planning evolution, was when the primitive market area joined San Marco’s one,
through pedestrian connection.

Menpes, D., 1904. Venice. London: A. & C. BLACK

GOOGLE MAP OF VENICE

MAIN MARKET PLACE

CANALS
 • As the city developed, also building industry developed, bringing an increase of foot-traffic; for this
reason, it was necessary to build new bridges and larger pedestrian precincts. At the beginning,
bridges were mostly made of wood and not very arched, sometimes even flat like drawbridges in order
to let horses and carts travel.

• Some of the narrow streets of Venice were named after the most important families living there
(called Ca’ Zeno, Da Mosto, Da Rampini). Some others were named after trades. This kind of toponymy
points that similar trades were concentrated in the same area.

• The gradual architectonical development, undertaken by the Venice, did not destroy former
structures, but integrated the old with the new ones. Changeable economical conditions and necessity
of new spaces influenced town planning development.
Menpes, D., 1904. Venice. London: A. & C. BLACK

FEATURES
IMAGE SOURCE : http://www.regioni-italiane.com/immagini/pontedirialto1.jpg http://www.crosspoint.com.ro/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/venice.jpg
CONCLUSION CONTEMPORARY VENICE
PRESENT DAY MASTER PLAN
Venice has everything:

• Dense city structure

• Short walking distances beautiful
courses of space
• High degree of mixed use
• Active ground floors
• Distinguished architecture
- For centuries Venice has offered a
sophisticated framework for city life
and continues to do so, issuing a
whole-hearted invitation to walk.

REFERENCES
Davis J. H., 1973. Venice. Deluxe Edition 0-88225-029-9 ed. New York: Arthur
Dembner.
Brown, H., 1893. Venice: A Historical Sketch of the Republic. London: s.n.
Hazlitt, W. C., London. The Venetian Republic. Vol. II ed. 1900: National Library
Association.
Hodgson, F., 1901. The Early History of Venice. London: National Library
Association.
Menpes, D., 1904. Venice. London: A. & C. BLACK
Mallner, L., 2004. Venice Urban History. [Online] http://projectsreview2010.aaschool.ac.uk/submission/uploaded_files/DIP-15/tom.burnford-
Available at: http://people.umass.edu/latour/Italy/VeniceUrbanHistory/ venice%20masterplan.jpg
[Accessed 19 October 2014].
Martin, J. & Romano, D., 2003. Venice Reconsidered. Baltimore: JHU Press.
Okey, T., 1910. Venice and its Story. Third Revised Edition ed. London: J.M.Dent &
Sons LTD..
Venezia, B., 2009. How Venice Was Born : a Brief Outline. [Online]
Available at: http://www.raixevenete.com/first-urban-settlements-in-venice/
[Accessed 20 October 2014].
PRESENTED BY ARNAB MAJUMDER
Various, 1901. With the world's great travellers. CHARLES MORRIS ed. Chicago: Union Book
Company RADHIKA RAVINDRAN