Canal, Venice, Italy

The Grand Canal  is a canal in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city. Public transport is provided by water buses  and private water taxis, and many tourists explore the canal by gondola. At one end, the canal leads into the lagoon near the Santa Lucia railway station and the other end leads into Saint Mark Basin; in between, it makes a large reverse-S shape through the central districts of Venice. It is 3,800 m long, 30 to 90 m wide, with an average depth of five meters.The Grand Canal probably follows the course of an ancient river  flowing into the lagoon. Adriatic Veneti groups already lived beside the formerly-named "Rio Businiacus" before the Roman age. They lived in stilt houses and on fishing and commerce. Under the rule of the Roman empire and later of the Byzantine empire the lagoon became populated and important, and in the early 9th century the doge moved his seat from Malamocco to the safer "Rivoaltus". Increasing trade followed the doge and found in the deep Grand Canal a safe and ship accessible canal-port.  Source