Well: Difference between revisions
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==Structure== | ==Structure== | ||
A typical well has an underground cistern, a well shaft, drains and a layer of fine river sand between the cistern and the pavement. | A typical well has an underground cistern, a well shaft, drains and a layer of fine river sand between the cistern and the pavement. | ||
[[File:Pozzi.png|200px|thumb|none]] | [[File:Pozzi.png|200px|thumb|none]] | ||
===Well Shaft=== | ===Well Shaft=== | ||
The well shaft is the cylindrical hole extending down from the wellhead into the cistern. Water collected at the bottom of the well shaft once it was filtered and the citizens would retrieve this filtered water from the wellshaft through the wellhead at the top. The shaft was built of semi-porrous bricks, called pozzali, that would filter water as it made its way into the shaft. | |||
===Cistern=== | ===Cistern=== | ||
Revision as of 10:28, 26 November 2025
This page contains information about a typical Venetian well.
A well is a water system built by Venetians to collect and filter rain to be stored as freshwater.
Structure
A typical well has an underground cistern, a well shaft, drains and a layer of fine river sand between the cistern and the pavement.
Well Shaft
The well shaft is the cylindrical hole extending down from the wellhead into the cistern. Water collected at the bottom of the well shaft once it was filtered and the citizens would retrieve this filtered water from the wellshaft through the wellhead at the top. The shaft was built of semi-porrous bricks, called pozzali, that would filter water as it made its way into the shaft.
Cistern
The cisterns were made with large stones and then lined with impermeable clay that prevented the fresh water from leaking out and more importantly prevented salt water from leaking in and contaminating the water supply.
Drains
The drains were built in order to collect rain water. Typically there are two or four drain equally spread out around the wellhead. The image below shows a picture of a drain.
Filtration System
Beneath each well's drainage holes, there are small basins to collect rain water. These basins are made from a semi-porrous brick called pozzali which filtered water as it seeped through the brick and a mostly waterproof mortar that helps facilitate filtration through the bricks. Once the collected water travelled through the bricks, it would flow through the deposit of sand and gravel that took up most of the volume of the well. The center shaft of the well was made of the same brick as the rainwater basins. This allowed for additional filtration as the water entered the shaft.
Disuse and Decommission
Venice is now supplied with water from the mainland, traveling underground through pipes from the commune Trebaseleghe which is filled by 120 artisan wells.
See Also
Reference
- ↑ Blackwell, Lewis et al. Preserving Venetian Wellheads. 2000. Pg 21