Venice Italy is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember on the International Space Station.

Venice, Italy is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember on the International Space Station. A space-based perspective of the City of Venice provides a quick assessment of the different development and land uses in the region; the major islands in the lagoon surrounding Venice--Laguna Veneta--appear different from one another. The island of Venice itself, a dense urban landscape, appears almost uniformly covered with red tiled roofs. By contrast, port facilities, and the train station at the west end of the island, appear in shades of gray. The islands of Giudecca and Murano (famous for glassware) are almost as densely built up, but the whole walled island of San Michele, used as a cemetery since Napoleon's occupation, is covered with trees and tombs. Lido di Venezia, which separates the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea, has wide, vegetated spaces. The green spaces of nearby islands east of Venice are often used by picnickers getting away from Venice. Though Venice has a declining population of fewer than 70,000, a mass of 12 million visitors invade the city every year. Many arrive from the mainland via the bridge at the train station. Many arrive by boat, whose wakes can be seen as white flashes in many parts of the image. A prominent visual feature of the Venice metropolitan area is the S-bend of the Grand Canal. The famous Rialto Bridge is big enough to appear as a white break in the canal in this view. St. Mark's church and square, and the Doge's Palace are also visible at the east end of the canal.