Venice 2018: Piazza San Marco flooding and St Mark’s Clocktower

After finishing at the Doge’s Palace my mom and I quickly returned to the hotel to grab something and then we rejoined my dad at Piazza San Marco, which was now mostly covered in ankle-deep water. Everyone without proper footwear was either walking on the elevated platforms above the water or along the edges of the square where it was still dry. When Piazza San Marco floods it’s common for many the businesses on the ground level there to shut down until the waters recede. Some of the cafes remain open if the waters don’t reach them and both the Doge’s Palace and St Mark’s Basilica are usually open since they have flood barriers to keep out the water. My parents and I briefly considered going into the basilica but we decided instead to leave the flooded square behind and start working our way north towards the Rialto Bridge. To exit Piazza San Marco we passed under St Mark’s Clocktower, which has been keeping time on the square ever since the late 1400s. On the roof of the tower are a pair of bronze statues, called “the Moors” because of the dark stain they acquired over time, which strike a large bell at the top of the hour.