AP PHOTOS: Glass barriers keep Venice’s iconic basilica dry

VENICE, Italy — It’s a simple solution, but one that may keep the marble columns and valuable mosaics of Venice’s iconic St. Mark’s Basilica safe from seawater-induced erosion: A set of glass barriers installed around the 900-year-old church has kept its floors dry during frequent high tides. Even after it evaporates, water leaves behind salt crystals that corrode the marble bases of the columns and the floor mosaics, said Mario Piana, the architect and restoration expert in charge of St. Mark’s. The new barriers are made of glass mounted on a base of armored concrete that is buried below the pavement of the famous St Mark’s square to resist the force of surging water. As a result, St. Mark’s gets more flooding than most places and remains vulnerable despite the activation of the Moses underwater barriers around the lagoon city in 2020 to protect Venice from floods over 1.3 meters.