Venice Presents A Tale Of Hope And Ruin

The Drowned Library: How Venice’s Ruined Books Became a Symbol of Climate Crisis

In November 2019, an unusual convergence of natural phenomena descended upon Venice. A complete lunar phase, intense gales, and a powerful storm system created the city's second-most severe inundation in documented history. The salty Adriatic waters poured through historic alleyways and piazzas, leaving behind a scene of immense damage. From the debris, volumes retrieved from the floodwaters began to articulate a moving narrative about cultural destruction, human fortitude, and a metropolis confronting a dire threat. These sodden books, immortalised through a photographer's camera, became affecting relics of a worldwide crisis playing out across some of the planet's most beloved cities.

A Photographer’s Urgent Mission

Patrizia Zelano, a photographer, witnessed the unfolding tragedy on television during the evening of 12 November 2019. From her Rimini residence, she observed reports showing a city besieged by the ocean. Feeling an immediate need to document the situation, she set out the subsequent morning. Her journey involved a drive of over two hours to the Italian mainland, followed by a train ride into a city still grappling with the declared state of emergency. The environment she entered was one of organised disarray. Clad in waterproof boots, Zelano navigated streets like the Strada Nova. This thoroughfare remained submerged under 40 centimetres of silt-laden water. She made her way to the residence of an acquaintance, where the flood's impact was devastatingly clear.

The Perfect Storm

The inundation resulted from a destructive combination of weather and astronomical factors. A strong sirocco gale drove a water surge northward into the Adriatic, which coincided perfectly with a tidal peak made higher by a complete lunar phase. A rapidly developing storm system intensified the effect, causing ocean waters to swell by a remarkable 1.89 metres. This event left approximately 85% of Venice’s old city underwater. Its severity was surpassed only by the devastating 1966 "Acqua Granda." That earlier event was the first to capture international concern regarding the precariousness of Venice's survival, seeing water levels crest at 1.94 metres and cutting the city off for more than 22 hours.

Beauty in Decay

At the inundated residence, the waters had pulled back, but the destruction was extensive. Zelano saw furnishings, seating, and other belongings stacked in heaps resembling rubbish, each item totally saturated. As the residents worked to recover what they could, her focus shifted to their collection of books. She saw a sorrowful elegance in their ruined state and a compelling symbolism in their destruction. One volume was so badly damaged it resembled a relic from an ancient era, sealed shut by the combination of salt and mud. This encounter strengthened her determination to document these wounded artifacts.

Rescuing the Remnants

Motivated by her findings, Zelano went looking for more books that were set to be thrown away. She made contact with Lino Frizzo, who runs a bookshop called Libreria Acqua Alta, which translates as "High Water Bookstore." Frizzo and his team were in the middle of a ceaseless, frantic campaign to clear their space and protect their stock. He gave Zelano a number of volumes that were considered unsalvageable. The majority were from the beginning of the 20th century—old, but not quite antique by local measures. One was a poetry collection with a binding made of rich, red cloth, which Zelano later referred to as a wounded volume.

A Heavy Burden

Zelano collected forty books, putting them into large, dark refuse sacks for her trip. Undertaking this mission alone in her mid-fifties, she found the physical task of moving the heavy, water-soaked items to be enormous. Finding anyone to assist in the beleaguered city was a challenge. She managed to convince a gondolier to transport her toward the railway terminal. Certain volumes were so delicate they disintegrated with a simple touch. One book, she recalled, had transformed into a shape as fragile as lacework, its fragmented leaves compressed into one another.

An Artist’s Testimony

Zelano, once a pupil of the celebrated Italian photographer Guido Guidi, started her artistic work upon returning to her studio. She documented each book with her camera, illuminated solely by ambient light, positioning them exactly as she had found them without trying to open their fused pages. A Treccani encyclopedia from 1949 drew her attention due to an illustration in its corner. It showed a pre-Christian figure known as the "Genius of the Domitilla Catacombs," an emblem of guardianship. This tiny element provided Zelano a moment of comfort amidst the widespread ruin.

Waves of Change

A separate encyclopedia, published in 1951, had a contour that brought to mind ocean swells, a direct visual echo of the force that destroyed it. Occurrences of this magnitude are anticipated to become more common as the climate continues to change. Venice confronts a compounded problem: the world's oceans are rising, while the city itself is gradually sinking from land subsidence at about 1-2 millimetres each year. Through her images, Zelano aimed to fashion a tribute to our collective past and its cultural artifacts, recognising the immense loss while also celebrating recovery and endurance.

The Crying Book

One especially poignant photograph depicts a volume that remained damp at the time it was captured on film. A single bead of moisture can be seen on its cover, giving the impression that the book is weeping. Its contorted form also reflects the ocean's ebb and flow. The image is a powerful metaphor for Venice's predicament. Ocean levels around the globe are increasing at a faster pace, a reality that presents a critical danger to coastal communities everywhere. Venice is often held up as an early indicator of this crisis.

Art History Submerged

The rescued collection included art history encyclopedias published in 1978. These books ironically featured art created by Canaletto, the 18th-century painter known for his magnificent depictions of Venice's famous vistas. Seeing these volumes, filled with images of an immaculate city now deformed and damaged by the very element that defines it, highlights the acute vulnerability of the city’s artistic legacy. Venetians have long become accustomed to the seasonal high tides, but the growing regularity and power of these events have sharpened their understanding that older methods of coping are no longer adequate.

The Acqua Alta Bookstore: An Emblem of Resilience

The Libreria Acqua Alta is a small-scale representation of Venetian perseverance. Established in 2004 by Luigi Frizzo, the store is known for its inventive flood-prevention strategies, which include keeping its large stock in bathtubs, canoes, and even a gondola. Even with these precautions, the 2019 flood's extremity broke through its protections, destroying thousands of books. Still, the bookstore is a cherished local spot. Its creative approach and defiant attitude toward the water reflect the city's larger battle for its own future.

A Flawed Shield: The MOSE Project

To counter this constant danger, Italy has dedicated billions to the MOSE project, a network of 78 mobile barriers located at the Venetian lagoon's three entrances. Put into service in 2020, these gates are meant to ascend from the seabed to shield the city from predicted high tides. The system is being used more and more, raised 28 times in 2024 and close to 100 times in its initial four years. However, the initiative has been marked by setbacks, budget overruns, and scandal. Experts also caution that it might not be adequate to cope with the more severe sea-level increases projected for later this century.

A Heritage at Risk

The 2019 inundation caused extensive harm to Venice's priceless artifacts and buildings. Saint Mark's Basilica, among the city's most revered sites, was flooded, and its historic marble floors and mosaics were subjected to the damaging effects of salt water. These repeated events speed up the deterioration of structures that have waterproof stone foundations but less resilient brick and mortar higher up. In reaction, groups such as Save Venice and UNESCO have created funds to assist with repairs. Digital preservation work is also proceeding, creating detailed 3D models of important locations.

The Venetian Way of Life

Coexisting with water is a fundamental part of Venetian identity. For generations, the inhabitants have adjusted, creating building styles and daily habits that follow the tidal cycles. This adaptation persists today, aided by new technology and a strong sense of community. Sirens sound to signal approaching high water, and elevated wooden platforms are put in place. Shop owners install metal flood guards, and residents regularly wear waterproof footwear. This unyielding spirit is characteristic of life in Venice.

A Call for Reflection

Patrizia Zelano's photography goes beyond simple recording. She considers her work a symbolic action intended to spur contemplation. By reframing ruined items as subjects of beauty and optimism, she fashions a pictorial record that safeguards knowledge while pushing for practical measures. This effort represents a type of consciousness, an artistic undertaking meant to foster fresh ideas about the climate situation. The submerged books are more than evidence of one event; they serve as a caution and an appeal for a sustainable path forward, calling on everyone to identify what is truly essential before it is gone.