Venice, a city of canals, has been counting the cost of its worst floods for more than 50 years.
St Mark’s Square was submerged by more than one metre of water on Wednesday and the adjacent St Mark’s Basilica flooded for the fourth time in the last two decades.
Residents and tourists carrying suitcases could be seen wading through water in rain boots. The water invaded the ground floors of many historic palazzos, stores, restaurants and hotels.
Ahead of a clean-up, the mayor of Venice, who earlier said the city “was on its knees”, called for the rapid completion of a long-delayed barrier system.
"We are not just talking about calculating the damages, but of the very future of the city," mayor Luigi Brugnaro told reporters. "Because the population drain also is a result of this."
Photos on social media showed that some residents coped calmly with the flooding. One group of men was pictured drinking red wine outside a café while sitting in water up to their knees.