Drawing of the Porto di Lido, 16th century
State Archives, Venice

This drawing was made during the second half of the 16th century and shows the Gagiandra, the raft that was moored in the middle of the San Nicolò canal, between the island of Lido and that of the fortress of Sant’Andrea. The Gagiandra acted as a defence system between the lagoon and the sea. The drawing, consisting of two overlapping sheets glued together and with the handwritten word legenda glued to the left margin, was in a very poor state of conservation. The most notable damage was caused by: the use of a ferrous ink, by the considerable absorption of water (causing partial loss of the inks), by a serious weakening of the support, and by a heavy vertical fold (breakage of the fibres). The highly acidic ink had caused perforations and losses in the support, especially in the areas that received the greatest use, making it more fragile. The State Archives contain 70 km of document shelves with contents relating to the entire history of the Republic of Venice, from its origins through the modern period. These documents attest to the long aim of the Serenissima, which extended its political, trading and cultural relations throughout the world.