Before I moved to Venice people had told me to bring wellies because of how flooded the city can get, but of course I always brushed this off thinking 'oh yeah I'll just avoid the puddles' because of course I had no room to spare in my suitcase for the big move. Well I think it is safe to say I definitely underestimated the sheer scale of water that engulfs this city!
I quickly learnt that Acqua alta means high water and is what the Venetians use to describe the partial flooding of Venice caused by high tides from the Adriatic sea. The water level in the canals is always rising and falling in Venice because it all varies on the tide but when this natural phenomenon occurs it all just keeps rising until it leaks into the city! The lagoon pours its water in with waves onto the docks and the pavements across the front which are dragged to and fro until the water level eventually drops. But as San Marco's Square is the lowest point in Venice it is there where the water hits the most as it all rises from the wells built under the city.
I was walking to university when I first saw how high it really gets, it was something though as it definitely was not my everyday casual commute. Luckily a siren is set off in the morning to warn everyone when the city is flooded, so you know not to leave your home without your wellies on! My landlord must have been used to people coming to Venice and ignoring the warnings (guilty) as he had wellies in every size waiting for us when we moved in. So I was sorted... even if I did have to go for the men's ones.. I told you before there is issues with being a female with big feet here!
I did feel for the pigeons though, that square is their home and I bet some of the tourists were annoyed they could not get that iconic picture covered in them...
The city is prepared though as hundreds of boards appear stacked in the street when the flooding gets predicted. These boards act as a raised pathway and are all over the city and even lead into the entrances of the landmarks like the Basilica so everyone can get about as normal. Although when it was peak tourist season and the high water came it was chaos trying to get anywhere, can you imagine the thousands of tourists Venice sees everyday all crammed on to boards which are about a meter wide?! That's why it is so much easier just to wade your way through the water in your wellies, and for those who are unprepared there is always men selling these make shift boots which are basically bright pieces of waterproof fabric which go over your shoes and pull up like over the knee socks. Not the most flattering thing but I guess desperate times equal desperate measures and all that!
When the sun comes out and the water goes away you are left with big patches of puddles dotted everywhere. They actually become something beautiful in San Marco's square and the reflective nature of them brings many photographers and a lot of couples in their wedding attire looking for some memorable pictures. There is photography studios all around Venice and the majority have blown up photos in their windows of wedding shoots in the square when it is flooded so it must be a common occurrence.
It is a trait Venice is known for and definitely something not to be missed!
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