Featured Article: Wellhead
This page contains information about a typical Venetian wellhead. For information on wellheads as a whole, see Wellheads
A wellhead, vera da pozzo in italian, is the only exposed component of the Venetian well system. Some local names include anello, corona, sponda, cinta, parapetto, spalletta or bocca di pozzo. The wellhead served as a cap on the well to prevent debris from falling in and contaminating the fresh water supply. As the well system is no longer a source of fresh water for Venetians, the Venetian Wellhead is now considered public art and an aspect of the city's historical and artistic value. See Public art preservation.
History
The first wellheads were created for shallow wells in the Lido that used the Lido's natural sand dunes to filter rainwater. The first cistern wellheads in the city of Venice were created in the eleventh century. As the cistern system developed, more wells and wellheads were created, with eventually more than ..→
