Acqua Alta Venice damage
Dec 11th, 2019 | 05:43 PM
#1
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Acqua Alta Venice damage
Reading about the recent floods and the amount of damage I am wondering how long it will take to repair and to what extent hotels and museums will be impacted. I know from our own recent flooding experience (and we live in very dry New Mexico) that it can take a long time to repair and mold is pernicious (it took 3 months to get rid of all the mold and replace walls, flooring etc). I'm wondering if those of you "on the ground" in Italy have heard more extensive information than we have. (Basically the flooding was on the news, but no updates since). Grazie
Dec 11th, 2019 | 08:11 PM
#2
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You can be confident that when you visit, Venice will be in going order. Certainly some businesses have taken a beating, an oar mker I know lost some electrical equipment, a favourite bar had the fridges trashed.
The press always shows pictures of water in the Piazza, and the Piazza, in front of San Marco, is the lowest point in all of Venice, lowest point being 70cm. The highest water level was 187cm, so the water depth in the Piazza was about 1.2 metres.
Certainly some places suffered a lot, the Marciana Library lost books, some priceless. The garden at the Querini and the cafe saw water, and tht is almost unknown.
Bit you must remember that “flooding” in Venice is tidal, and it was a combination of a high tide plus weather conditions that pushed the tide so high. I think when you visit, you will not see much evidence remaining of the tide. The major museums, Doges Palace, Correr, Accademia, CaRezzonico have not much in the way of works on the lower floors. Not sure about the Guggenheim.
The press always shows pictures of water in the Piazza, and the Piazza, in front of San Marco, is the lowest point in all of Venice, lowest point being 70cm. The highest water level was 187cm, so the water depth in the Piazza was about 1.2 metres.
Certainly some places suffered a lot, the Marciana Library lost books, some priceless. The garden at the Querini and the cafe saw water, and tht is almost unknown.
Bit you must remember that “flooding” in Venice is tidal, and it was a combination of a high tide plus weather conditions that pushed the tide so high. I think when you visit, you will not see much evidence remaining of the tide. The major museums, Doges Palace, Correr, Accademia, CaRezzonico have not much in the way of works on the lower floors. Not sure about the Guggenheim.
Dec 12th, 2019 | 06:21 AM
#3
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I am Facebook friends with some of my favorite Venice businesses. Most reported back to normal the next day or the day after. My favorite pasticceria needed a bit more than a week to be back to normal.
Venice is at all different levels, so the damage really varies from neighborhood to neighborhood and even street by street.
Venice is at all different levels, so the damage really varies from neighborhood to neighborhood and even street by street.
Dec 12th, 2019 | 10:22 AM
#5
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I'm also shocked - that the library would place books, priceless or otherwise, in vulnerable locations. Surely someone in charge could have predicted worse-case-scenario and planned accordingly, but apparently didn't. I'm wondering if there isn't more to this tale.
Dec 12th, 2019 | 10:42 AM
#6
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High water like this used to be very, very rare. Like "once in a century" rare. No longer.
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Dec 12th, 2019 | 11:30 AM
#8
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I have no doubt that's true, Menachem. But a custodian of rare objects must foresee the possible, even though it might be very rare. These days even the extraordinarily rare, where weather is a factor, can be imagined & steps taken in advance of a rare event. It isn't a case such as Los Angeles Library's fire where so much was water damaged, but one of elevation, move the books higher, which I'm assuming was not done & the cause. I hope blame is properly assigned, unforgivable.
Dec 12th, 2019 | 12:25 PM
#9
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[QUOTE=Pepper_von_snoot;17029203]Shocked that water got to Querini Stampalia.
Thin, you might know the garden gate at the Querini, to your right as you enter the garden. The calle outside the gate is about the same level as the lawn, maybe a bit lower.
The calle level is about 120 cm, tide was 187 cm, so the garden saw sixty cm of water. The bookshop and cafe would have seen about a metre.
It really is ironic. When Carlo Scarpa designed the Querini intervention, he really acknowledged the fact that Venice is all about water. The architecture almost invites water to come in, and then would it kindly leave. There was no way he could have anticipated tides of 190 cm though.
Thin, you might know the garden gate at the Querini, to your right as you enter the garden. The calle outside the gate is about the same level as the lawn, maybe a bit lower.
The calle level is about 120 cm, tide was 187 cm, so the garden saw sixty cm of water. The bookshop and cafe would have seen about a metre.
It really is ironic. When Carlo Scarpa designed the Querini intervention, he really acknowledged the fact that Venice is all about water. The architecture almost invites water to come in, and then would it kindly leave. There was no way he could have anticipated tides of 190 cm though.
Dec 12th, 2019 | 02:47 PM
#10
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Dec 12th, 2019 | 08:39 PM
#11
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I have no doubt that's true, Menachem. But a custodian of rare objects must foresee the possible, even though it might be very rare. These days even the extraordinarily rare, where weather is a factor, can be imagined & steps taken in advance of a rare event. It isn't a case such as Los Angeles Library's fire where so much was water damaged, but one of elevation, move the books higher, which I'm assuming was not done & the cause. I hope blame is properly assigned, unforgivable.
It's not simply a matter of finding some empty shelves and puting some books there. Libreria Marciana had and have taken precautions, so that when the consultation room flooded, only modern volumes were damaged, not antiquarian ones.
Ironic also where the blame really lies.
https://www.independent.co.uk/enviro...-a9204261.html
Dec 12th, 2019 | 08:42 PM
#12
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Is this a "those incompetent Italians" posting?
Dec 13th, 2019 | 06:08 AM
#17
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The very first time we visited Venice, there were wood planks going into Saint Marks Basilica cause the high tide came in. This was if I am not mistaken in 2005.
So I do hope they have elevated the priceless pieces wherever possible. It is heartbreaking to hear about how the situation is getting worse.
So I do hope they have elevated the priceless pieces wherever possible. It is heartbreaking to hear about how the situation is getting worse.
