Google Street View does Venice

It is a city without streets, but Venice has finally been conquered by Google Street View.

The Internet giant’s specially adapted fleet of cars was useless in a city built on water, so its picturesque piazzas, palaces and churches are being photographed by employees with giant cameras strapped to their backs.

They are tramping along its narrow alleyways and across its stone bridges with backpacks containing electronic “eyes” that capture 360-degree views.

The cameras, weighing 15 kilograms and powered by a lithium battery, have attracted a lot of attention, with tourists snapping pictures — even as it captures images of them.

The Trekker backpack camera was developed to film places around the world accessible only on foot. In other parts of the globe where cars cannot venture, the company has used specially fitted tricycles to photograph pedestrian-only zones of towns and cities — and even snowmobiles to capture images of ski resorts.

The peculiar challenges of Venice may necessitate the development of Google gondolas, Daniele Rizzetto, operations manager for Google Street View in Europe and the Middle East, told La Repubblica newspaper.

The images of Venice will be online within weeks, allowing people to take a tour of the Queen of the Adriatic without even having to travel there. Launched in 2007, Google Street View has expanded to nearly 50 countries around the world.