Venice Finds Itself Deeper Than Expected

More than 70% of Venice has found itself underwater since last week, when a series of storms, created by winds from the Adriatic Sea, ransacked the majority of Italy. “Geography of Venice is key to its storm-tide problem. It is nested within a lagoon at the far-northwest end of the Adriatic Sea," according to meteorologist Jim Andrews at AccuWeather. The total number dead across the country as of November 1 rose to 11 people, most being workers at docks on the coastlines and in Venice according to the Italian Civilian Protection Agency. Rescuers have reportedly saved 190 people trapped in the floods. With sinking already being a concern in Venice, the sudden five-foot rise in sea level has caused multiple issues in the city. At its peak now, the water is topping 156 centimeters (61 inches) above average sea level at high tide.

For St. Mark’s Basilica, the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice and a remarkable example of Italo-Byzantine architecture, this is the second catastrophic and damaging flood it has faced in 100 years, with the last record-breaking year being in 1936. Floodwaters have also covered dozens of square meters of 1000-year-old marble pavement in front of the Madonna Miopeia and completely submerged both the Baptistery and Zen Chapel. Major artifacts sacred to the Catholic Church have been under 90 centimeters (35 inches) of water for at least 16 hours, allowing saltwater to age and corrode them. “The church has a structure made of bricks which, when submerged in saltwater, deteriorate even to a height of several meters, endangering the mosaics that adorn the vaults,” Carlo Alberto Tesserin, the head of the board responsible for St. Mark’s, told CNN. “In a single day, the Basilica has aged 20 years.”

Around the Basilica and throughout Venice, raised sidewalks have been implemented to create safer routes for foot traffic. The effects were worsened by the fact that the Moses Project, a wall to keep water at bay from the city, has not yet been completed due to the high cost of construction. The project was first started in 2003 because of these seasonal storms and is around 92% completed. UNESCO has concerns that it will not be completed in time to save Venice, which is a World Heritage Site. 

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro of Venice offers some hope. In a statement to his constituents, he offered that the situation was “under control, just like last week, thanks to preventative measures {the government} took”. He also mentioned that this storm was very similar to one in 1966, when Luca Zaia served, and that Venice survived then as well. Despite being a seasonal storm, environmental scientists wonder if climate change may have drastically augmented the effects of the flooding, and UNESCO urges the rest of the world to consider the impact of emissions on World Heritage Sites, as it is the duty of the international community to preserve them. No matter the case of what caused the flooding, the only thing Venetians can do now is wait for the waters to recede and then begin cleanup and restoration.

First published in print by The Stillman Exchange on November 5, 2018.