Gondolas...Bridge of Sighs...Piazza San Marco. In Italy's tiara of urban gems, few cities are as magical as Venice, the canal-crossed romantic getaway that is slowly, but surely, sinking into the sea. Located directly at sea level and built on an ancient foundation of huge wooden logs sunk deep into the tidal basin and topped off with bricks, Venice's vulnerability was graphically demonstrated in 1966 when unusually high tides combined with fierce winds left much of the city--in the words of HBO--six feet under(water). While viewers will indeed see the aboveground Venetian attractions here, this NOVA production also takes viewers on a seldom-seen tour of the "hidden Venice" underground (where engineers are frantically trying to replace the decaying bricks with more permanent material), and examines the controversial floodgates that were proposed after the 1966 storm. As a measure of just how serious the situation is, the program points out that while tourists continue to flock to Venice, a substantial number of residents have fled the city, certain that death and destruction are inevitable. Combining wonderful location footage, archival film, and insightful interviews, this fascinating program will appeal to science and engineering aficionados as well as armchair travelers. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Carlson)
Sinking City of Venice
(2002) 60 min. $19.95. WGBH Boston Video. PPR. Color cover. Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-57807-869-5. Volume 18, Issue 3
Sinking City of Venice
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