A 1.2 metre (four foot) high glass barrier has been suggested as a way to protect the world-famous monument and its priceless mosaics from the acqua alta, or tidal flooding, which happens regularly in the lagoon city. The basilica's famous coloured marble and gold-leaf mosaics were swamped with sewage and the crypt left under a metre of corrosive salt water during the record flooding, which peaked at 1.87 metres (six feet) on 12 November 2019.

The plan for the barrier, which would be built around the front of the basilica, has preliminary approval from city officials, Italian media reported. The proposal now needs approval from the city's heritage authority and its public works committee before it can go ahead.