Factory Tour of Venice: Day 1

 


January 8 Vlog: Factory Tour of Venice

Today was incredible. Though still very jet-lagged this morning, we ate breakfast at 8:00pm, and left by 8:30 to go on an incredible tour of the factory buildings around Venice. Venice used to be known for its factories and its trade businesses with various nations. Because it is a city of canals, it had an advantage in trading because of its simplicity and efficacy of transport. Venice prioritized the production of its on ships and navigation systems in order to secure itself as a one of the biggest trading ports of the Mediterranean. It would often travel to trading sites themselves rather than having it shipped to them, which increased demand for its business and allowed it to thrive on importing and exporting products from various locations. On our travels we stopped by one of its ship building factory, which became known for its military ships that were built to take out large battleships in times of war.

This factory to the left used to be a Catholic church, but after Napoleon conquered the land, it was turned into a textile factory. Most of the factories we visited we were not able to explore, but this one we got to go inside. After this building was confiscated from the Catholic church, it was remodeled and divided into three stories. Since then, the inside has been partially restored and we were able to see the interior divided in half. Half the building was still a three-story building with offices and other units, and separated by a huge glass wall was the other half, which is the preserved back end of the church. Beautiful paintings and stonework lined the walls and the tall ceilings. At the very top of the ceiling, there is a dome engulfed by an old painting which had been turned into a private office room for the factory owner. Today, it is no longer the factory that it was, but rather an institution focusing on project development within Venice, working with entrepreneurs and creative minds. It partners with MIT, who sends students every year to help develop business models within the city of Venice.

In this picture to the left, there is a pictures of the biggest mill in Venice and one of the biggest in Europe. We were also given the opportunity here to go inside, but the building has since been closed and turned into a Hilton hotel, a well-known hotel for luxury visits. In the 1880s, it started up to be a commercial flour mill by businessman Giovanny Stucky, with the help of a German architect. After finally concluding in 1895, the mill would quickly become one of Europe's greatest flour producer, and transformed the famous pasta dishes which remain in Italian's culture today. Giovanny Stucky became one of the wealthiest people in Venice!

Since the industrial revolution and the two world wars, factories have become almost non existant. The city has become overrun by tourism, which is the leading employment position for locals who live on the Island. Today, tourism, though it is now a core factor in Venetian profits, it has presented a difficult situation with the locals, where they often have to either choose to leave their home, or stay and succumb to a lifestyle of working in the tourism industry. Venice doesn't have the capacity to build much more on the island and many of its buildings have been bought by companies intending to create more living space, such as apartments, hotels, airbnbs, or entertainment such as shops or restaurants. Though Venice is entirely different today than it was in its past, it will forever hold its legacy of being one of the best trading ports in the Mediterranean.

The restored half of the
old Catholic Church
Overall, today was quite an incredible day and the weather was beautiful! I can only wait for what we will get to do tomorrow! I hope you enjoyed reading my blog, and hope you'll continue along with us in our journey of Italy!




Author: Madelynne Jones













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