It was a historic first for St. Mark's Basilica, which this morning, with water 95 centimeters high over the middle of the sea, did not see the tide enter the mosaic floors, thanks to the glass barriers erected in recent months all around the perimeter of the monument. The 'glass belt' - a temporary solution before the long final works to raise the Marcian insula - has not yet been inaugurated: but it worked perfectly.

There were 10 centimeters of water on the square, but beyond the barriers the Basilica's narthex and other points at risk of flooding remained dry. The clear glass barriers are fixed, but they almost imperceptibly disturb the view of the church. They have four openings, two on the sides and two in the main entrance, in which metal bulkheads - similar to those used in Venetian houses and stores - are inserted to seal them only during high waters.