In order to gain a better understanding of the Pleistocene silty sediments underlying the Venice lagoon, a comprehensive research programme on a representative test site was launched. After having carried out an extensive geotechnical characterisation of the subsoil using several high-quality insitu and laboratory tests, a full-scale 6.7 m high, 40 m diameter, vertical-walled cylindrical test bank was progressively built and continuously monitored. Analysis of the very large amount of data, with special emphasis to piezocone tests, provides interesting information on the geotechnical properties of such intermediate soils. Back-analysis from the load bank performance proves to be especially useful both for the validation of usual methods for the evaluation of compressibility and consolidation characteristics and for the reliable determination of the operational parameters of the Venetian silts.