THE LIMINAL SPACE : LAGOON REGENERATION PROJECTS IN SAINT-ELENA ISLAND, VENICE

Venice, or rather Venetiae. The Latin term contains within itself, in its declination in the plural, the distinction between the two parts of the region called Venetia in Roman times: a mainland part and a part tied to lagoons and river mouths. This peculiar environment is detailed and depicted in various maps, such as the works of Cristoforo Sabbadino, which also record the evolution of Venice's borders over time. Venice has struggled for centuries with rising tides, adopting control systems to prevent the water level from rising too high in the 14th century. On the other hand, an opposite battle was the one against the siltation of the lagoon, which would have precluded its survival and sustainability. Born from the need of the populations to resist enemy invasions, the surrounding waters worked as a defensive "wall" against attacks from the mainland. At the same time, the disappearance of the lagoon would have irremediably compromised the umbilical cord with the sea, the soul of its trade throughout the Mediterranean Sea.