Well curb

Precious well curb of Veneto-Byzantine period, originally from the island of Murano. The Italian word for curb, "vera", is a term of Venetian origin designating a stone construction placed above the well hole. The Venetian well was a fairly complex and expensive structure, because, due to the peculiar hydro-geological characteristics of the Venice lagoon, the water was not taken from an underground source but from a large reservoir of drinking water obtained in part by the filtering of rainwater, in part by water from the rivers, transported to the city with special barges. At first, the curb, which served both as a parapet and as support for the pulley, was a simple protection element but over time became a precious and scenographic ornament of squares and yards.