Flooding caused damage amounting to five million euros in the basilica in Venice

Venice (Italy) – The floods that have affected the Italian city of Venice over the past more than a month have caused damage of at least five million euros (over 127 million CZK) to the famous Basilica of St. Mark in the square of the same name. The first flood wave, which came in mid-November, was the highest in the last 53 years. The water reached up to 1.87 meters during the tide at that time. Two more flood waves in recent days rose to heights exceeding 1.5 meters, according to the AP agency.

The worst floods the city on the lagoon experienced occurred in 1966, when local authorities measured water at a height of 194 centimeters. Carlo Alberto Tesserin, who takes care of the basilica, considers this year's high tide as "the worst yet." As he says, unlike other natural disasters, such as earthquakes that leave destroyed bell towers and collapsed building walls, the effects of floods in Venice may not be visible to the naked eye at first.

"Someone who comes to Venice and sees the high water arrives the next day at St. Mark's Square and sees tables spread out. And then they might say: Look, everything works. Nothing has happened here," Tesserin described. "The reality is different," he added, stating that their task now is to uncover even the smallest damages to the basilica.

This year's high tide was unusually accompanied by strong winds, reaching speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. As a result, the water often reached even higher levels. Witnesses described that they saw the largest waves in history at St. Mark's Square. The water also flowed into the basilica through the windows for the first time, and the gusty wind tore up tiles as well.

"For the first time, I was really scared," said Giuseppe Maneschi, who is responsible for the technical matters concerning the basilica. As the water rose, he and his colleagues rushed to relocate valuable items, such as crucifixes, to higher ground. The crypt of the basilica remained underwater for over 24 hours. According to Maneschi, it's not the water that poses the biggest problem, but rather the salt. It seeps into the bricks and marble, damaging and weakening the entire structure. "The disaster is hidden inside. We often don't even see it. But now we can uncover everything with new technology," he added.

The high water in Venice is tidal; the maximum usually lasts about an hour and a half, and after several hours, the water recedes. According to local authorities, more severe floods in Venice are becoming increasingly frequent.