After decades of controversy and endless delays, the Mose passes its first real test in the field, stops the high tide and saves Piazza San Marco and the historic Basilica, which avoid the troubles of the tide and providentially remain dry.
"The Basilica is dry and it is the first time this has happened" said the First Procurator of San Marco in Venice, Carlo Albertino Tesserin, with emotion.
Today's test in Venice was eagerly awaited because it was a matter of seeing if the Mose's mobile barriers really worked at high tide and the test was passed with flying colors making the lagoon city sigh with relief on a day that will remain historic . For the first time, the Mose has saved Venice from high water and shattered the fiery controversies that for decades have tried to hinder and criminalize this sacrosanct work, which has certainly accumulated delays, high costs and waste but which is and remains a blessed work that can finally change the life of Venice.
The start of operations began at 8.35 when the mobile barriers of the Mose began to rise and everything ended at 9 am. The order to raise the Mose had arrived at 52 in the morning from the extraordinary commissioner Elisabetta Spitz, as a peak tide between 6 and 135 centimeters was forecast for midday, but was instead stopped in time.
"In Venice - commented the mayor Brugnaro with satisfaction - today we stopped the sea, that is, outside the Mose the sea is higher and the lagoon inside is lower and so the Venetians have thrown away their boots". Now, in addition to completing the works of the Mose, it is to be hoped that the "No Mose" signs will disappear and that the usual critics will do some fair self-criticism
it was not the work itself that was criminalized, but certain management and certain administrators who were responsible for the delays. But it should also be kept in mind that a large part of the criticisms aimed at the critical issues of duration, maintenance and sensitivity to, for example, accumulation of debris / sand, as well as important dynamic conditions of rough seas. We'll see, but in the meantime the first milestone is there, well done.