Interesting Factoids about Venice

1. Venice is made up of 118 islands, but not one of those islands is named Venice. In reality it is an archipelago.
2. There are 150 canals and 400 bridges connecting the islands.
3. In the old days each island had it's own church so on Sundays the church bells ring and ring and ring.
4. The old Jewish quarter is on Judica Island, and it is said that the word ghetto was first used in Venice to indicate where the Jews lived.
5. The Doge's Palace is connected to the old Prison by the Bridge of Sighs.
6. The Bridge of Sighs was named by Lord Byron. Before that it was just the prison bridge.
7. The "sighs" are those heard by the prisoners as they were being led to prison.
8. There are no cars on most of the islands. There are also no roads. However, most families own small boats which they "park" in the canals near their houses.
9. St. Mark's Square (next to the Doge's Palace) was flooded 250 days last year as it is the lowest point in the city.
10. The Venetian Empire lasted about 400 years until it was brought down by Napoleon.
11. The name Venice comes from the Latin word "venir" meaning "come."