The precious 11th-century gold leaf mosaic floors in St Mark's Basilica in Venice were protected by glass barriers for the first time on Sunday, as an average-height 'acqua alta' hit the city of lagoons, under the 100cm-mark at which the MOSE flood barriers go into action to prevent city flooding.
“We really needed this barrier to keep out the salt water, which has been damaging the mosaics. Finally they are safe,” said Simone Venturini, Venice’s tourism chief.
It was the first time that St Mark's Square was under water while the church's mosaics were saved from getting a fresh dousing.
The barriers are a temporary measure pending the long work of raising the pavement in the square, however they have worked "perfectly", Venice officials said.
Flooding in Venice is caused by an array of factors, all of which are being aggravated by climate change, from rising sea levels with punishing high tides, to land subsidence, which is essentially causing the city’s ground level to sink.
