Architecture professors, students and bienalle exhibitors use the expression, "Venice is architecture". From the ancient tree trunks supporting the foundations of the buildings, to the cobbled, marble and stone streets and bridges, every inch of the center of Venice, and indeed most of Murano and Burano, is manmade.
Nevertheless, Venice is situated in and dependent on a very special ecological environment: The lagoon. Just a few minutes boat ride from Fondamenta Nove, there is a quiet marshy world inhabited by sea grasses, birds and fish. Venice is dependent on this world, not just for escape from urban life, but because it is this unique lagoon environment that enabled the architects of Venice to create this city on this spot and that has protected it from the sea for so many years.
This is why those Venetians who are concerned about the damage to the lagoon that could be caused by the dredging of the Canale Contorta Sant'Angelo have adopted the expression, "Venice is the Lagoon." The island of Burano in particular is a wonderful place to go to experience both the architectural and natural miracles that have combined to create and protect Venice.