Why was Venice built on water? I know how, but I want to know why??

Question

Why was Venice built on water? I know how, but I want to know why??

Answer 1

The people who founded Venice were fleeing from the Barbarians on the mainland in th 7th century. They saw a few small islands nearby and decided to move over there. The lombards didn't have boats, so they were safe. When they moved to the islands, they built a city called Venice.

Answer 2

Originally the founders were refugees fleeing from the Italian invasion by the Lombards.  They fled to the marshlands.  

The residents of the surrounding islands grouped together as the "exarchate of Ravenna" - a defensive arrangement against the Lombards.

Answer 3

What the two guys above said, matches exactly what they told me at school.

Answer 4

It wasn't intentionally built on water but on small islands in the lagoon. With the fall of the Roman Empire came hoards of barbarians who ransacked, pillaged & plundered... and the safest area for those on the main land close to Venice was the lagoon. The lagoon was easy to hide in and to protect from outsiders. A water culture developed over the years and people began to settle.