0:00:05 > 0:00:09'Venice, one of the most stunning cities on Earth.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13'Over 50,000 tourists arrive here each day
0:00:13 > 0:00:16'for Carnival, culture and canals.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20'But what they don't see is how this city works.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22'This is Venice from the inside.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28'Around the clock, emergency teams fight to keep a city built on water
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- 'safe and working.' - ALARM BELL
0:00:32 > 0:00:35'With unprecedented access to police, fire and medical teams,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38'we come face-to-face with unique challenges
0:00:38 > 0:00:41'and life-and-death drama.'
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Up to yesterday, she was all right. This morning she was not responsive.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51'This is Venice 24/7, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:04'As Venice emerges from an especially harsh winter,
0:01:04 > 0:01:09'those living here gear up for the first major event of the year.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13'In two days, Carnival begins.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17'Carnevale meaning "meat is allowed" is a 1,000-year-old tradition
0:01:17 > 0:01:20'of indulgence before the abstinence of Lent.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26'Leading up to Easter, thousands of revellers are about to descend
0:01:26 > 0:01:31'on St Mark's Square, in the heart of the historic city.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35'Venice earns over £2 billion a year from tourism
0:01:35 > 0:01:37'and owes half of its jobs to the industry.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41'Carnival is one of the city's most important events of the year.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44'It starts high above the square.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47'It's from the 16th-century St Mark's Campanile
0:01:47 > 0:01:51'that Carnival is officially launched.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58'Here, riggers are preparing the flight of the angel, or "colombina".
0:01:58 > 0:02:05'A young woman is lowered over the crowd to signal the start of the ten-day Carnival.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10'In charge of the spectacle is chief engineer Niccolo Ferrari.'
0:02:10 > 0:02:12The flight of the angel is a tradition.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14It's something like, er...
0:02:14 > 0:02:19It's a tradition that comes from many...yeah, hundreds of years ago.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24'The event is said to date back to a 16th-century spectacle.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28'A young acrobat wowed the crowds by walking on a tightrope
0:02:28 > 0:02:30'strung high across the square.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32'In the 18th century,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36'the acrobat fell from the wire and plummeted to his death.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41'The spectacle was abandoned until a safer version was revived in 2001.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45'The safety of the structure used to reenact the spectacle
0:02:45 > 0:02:47'rests with Niccolo.'
0:02:47 > 0:02:49This is the hanging point.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54The cable will be secured in this position.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59So this is the main important part of the stage for our purpose.
0:02:59 > 0:03:05So this is important to be tested before the launch of the angel.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09'The cable used to make the descent is fastened to the scaffold
0:03:09 > 0:03:12'100 metres below the Campanile.
0:03:12 > 0:03:18'At the other end, the job is complicated by the need to safeguard this protected historic monument.'
0:03:26 > 0:03:32'They must rig a massive pulley system weighing over 1,000kg
0:03:32 > 0:03:34'without making any holes in the building.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38'It must perfectly support the angel during her descent.'
0:03:53 > 0:03:56'Across town, the fire station is on standby.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00'Massimo Pierre Federici,
0:04:00 > 0:04:05'a fireman with over 20 years' experience, is covering the shift.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09'The first call-out is from a hotel on the other side of town.'
0:04:34 > 0:04:36'Hurrying to get there,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39'the fire brigade are allowed to break the 3mph speed limit.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44'But Venice's complex numbering system can add extra minutes.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48'With a little local help, the fire team manages
0:04:48 > 0:04:52'to locate the hotel with the trapped Italian tourists.'
0:04:53 > 0:04:57'The group has been inside the lift for almost half an hour.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00'It's stuck just below floor level and the door has jammed.'
0:05:04 > 0:05:08'It's a simple matter of finding the right switch to open the door.'
0:05:13 > 0:05:15GASPS OF RELIEF
0:05:52 > 0:05:57'The city's 400 gondoliers are taking their first Carnival tourists.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00'For the daughter of one, this Carnival is special.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08'Beatrice Coloru will be competing in the Maria festival,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11'a version of a 14th-century tradition.'
0:06:44 > 0:06:49'The 12 girls taking part in the Maria beauty pageant
0:06:49 > 0:06:53'have been selected from a shortlist of 60 hopefuls from the region.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56'The girl who wins will be crowned Queen of the Carnival,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00'and may also become next year's angel.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04'For Beatrice's father, whose family has been here for over 1,000 years,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06'it would be a huge honour.'
0:07:06 > 0:07:10I can say that I'm proud of this situation
0:07:10 > 0:07:12where Beatrice is going through.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Because it is happening once in the life.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19And...I'm glad that this happened
0:07:19 > 0:07:24because I'm a gondolier and a real Venetian,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28and this has something to do with this wonderful culture.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50'As one girl hopes to be crowned Queen this Carnival,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53'the girl who won last year is about to find out what's in store
0:07:53 > 0:07:55'for her flight.'
0:08:09 > 0:08:15'Tomorrow, 23-year-old Silvia Bianchini, this year's angel,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19'will be suspended 400 feet above the ground.'
0:08:32 > 0:08:35'With only a day to go, the team work into the night
0:08:35 > 0:08:37'to get everything ready in time.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59'It's the big day, and Carnival is hours away
0:08:59 > 0:09:02'from being officially launched.
0:09:04 > 0:09:10'Police are holding a briefing at the back of St Mark's Square to plan exit routes for the crowds.'
0:09:14 > 0:09:19'Thousands of people are expected to watch the flight of the angel.'
0:10:03 > 0:10:05'The body was found in a canal
0:10:05 > 0:10:10'right next to St Mark's Square by a hotel concierge.'
0:10:25 > 0:10:28'It looks like the victim has been dead some hours.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33'It's up to the police to try and identify the young man.'
0:10:45 > 0:10:49'Police remove the body before the area is flooded with tourists.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54'He is loaded into a special casket and taken to the city's morgue.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01'The police will begin investigating restaurants and hotels
0:11:01 > 0:11:05'to try and shed light on what might have happened.'
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'The body will be held by police, and if unclaimed,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29'it will be returned to the Chinese embassy.'
0:11:44 > 0:11:49'St Mark's Square, said to have been described by Napoleon
0:11:49 > 0:11:51'as the finest drawing room in Europe.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56'For locals and tourists, the square personifies the city.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00'For Silvia and the team, now is not the time to take in the view.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02'These are critical moments.'
0:12:23 > 0:12:28'Up on the belfry, the team does its final checks.'
0:13:45 > 0:13:48CHEERS AND APPLAUSE
0:13:58 > 0:14:04'Niccolo and his team have planned and executed these flights for over a decade.'
0:14:04 > 0:14:07This was the best flight of my 11
0:14:07 > 0:14:11because of the distance from the cables and for her.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14She was very kind. She was very charged.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17And the flight was very beautiful.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30'Carnival is officially, and safely, under way.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34'One of the most spectacular masquerades in the world begins.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41'For most, Carnival is about dressing up and having fun.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45'The masks were originally to break down class barriers,
0:14:45 > 0:14:50'entitling the wearer to anonymity, equality and freedom during the party season.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53'They still embody the spirit of Carnival,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57'but for criminals, they can create a golden opportunity.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01'Camouflaged amongst a sea of distracted tourists,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05'pick-pockets hope to do good business.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09'The police forces are spread across the historic centre,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11'some immediately recognisable,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14'others less so.'
0:15:20 > 0:15:23'Paolo has worked in the force for over ten years.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26'He's been paired with Giovanni for the last four.
0:15:26 > 0:15:33'As experts in covert surveillance, working in Venice gives a new meaning to "going undercover".'
0:15:42 > 0:15:47'The plan is to get into position and catch the thieves in the act.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54'The police are also looking for any other hands that wander.'
0:15:56 > 0:15:59'No-one is above suspicion,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02'not even Napoleon and Josephine.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06'The police scan the crowd, focusing on groups of young men.'
0:16:40 > 0:16:44'Finding criminals amongst the crowds can be tough for the police.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47'It never hurts to have help from ANOTHER force.'
0:16:59 > 0:17:03'In the district of Santa Croce, to the west of the centre,
0:17:03 > 0:17:09'Beatrice and her family gather to wish her luck in the Maria festival.'
0:17:19 > 0:17:21- This is mine. - No!
0:17:24 > 0:17:26CORK POPS
0:17:30 > 0:17:35'After the party, Beatrice gets into her mediaeval competition costume
0:17:35 > 0:17:40'and makes her way across the city to join her fellow brides.'
0:17:40 > 0:17:45To win or not to win is the same thing for us. She is there.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50It doesn't matter. I hope for her, but for us, she is the Maria.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Yes, for me, too.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54THEY CHUCKLE
0:17:55 > 0:17:58SIREN BLARES
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'The 118 paramedic team have been called out.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06'It seems the patient is in the heart of the party,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09'St Mark's Square.'
0:18:17 > 0:18:21'During Carnival, fancy dress can be a hindrance in an emergency.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40'When they arrive, there is no sign of the injured man.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44'He's on the terrace of the 11th-century Basilica,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46'20 feet above the square.'
0:18:56 > 0:19:01'The injured person is a Japanese doctor on holiday with his wife.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04'He slipped and split his face open while taking a picture.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06'He doesn't want to go to hospital.'
0:19:19 > 0:19:25'But this man's concern isn't so much his departure, but how much his accident will cost.'
0:19:38 > 0:19:42'The doctor is persuaded to follow the team to hospital,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45'where his injury can be fully investigated.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52'Among the crowds, the police are struggling to remain undercover.'
0:19:56 > 0:20:01'With so many people around, it can be difficult to get about.'
0:20:22 > 0:20:28'Believing they're on the trail of a criminal, they step up their pursuit and plan to arrest him.'
0:20:34 > 0:20:38'When the moment is right, they decide to close in.'
0:21:00 > 0:21:05'On this occasion, the officers were following the wrong gang.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08'Giovanni and Paolo don't get their man...'
0:21:09 > 0:21:11'..this time.'
0:21:25 > 0:21:28'The quest to find the Queen of the Carnival is under way.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32'In the 16th-century casino, the 12 get ready.'
0:21:50 > 0:21:57'Gondolier's daughter Beatrice has high hopes of winning the prestigious Venetian title.'
0:22:06 > 0:22:10'The girls take part in a series of events across the city.
0:22:10 > 0:22:18'They are judged by a ten-strong panel of experts from the worlds of art, politics and literature -
0:22:18 > 0:22:22'although some of the rounds owe more to modern Italy than old.
0:22:29 > 0:22:35'After a final round of preening and parading, the judges vote.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40'Italy's TV networks and the Venetian glitterati are out in force.'
0:23:08 > 0:23:12'The winner comes from 20 miles outside of Venice's city centre.
0:23:12 > 0:23:17'Beatrice's local status hasn't swayed the judges.'
0:23:42 > 0:23:47'As evening draws in, party celebrations crank up a notch.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52'It's a busy night for the emergency services.
0:23:52 > 0:23:59'Paramedic Anna Scarpa has worked in the city for 15 years, and has seen it all.'
0:23:59 > 0:24:01SPEAKS IN ITALIAN
0:24:04 > 0:24:11'The majority of call-outs are during the day, but during Carnival, the nights can be even busier.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28'A young man has been found lying on the street in the district of Cannaregio.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:55'Anna injects a drug into the man's neck to try to bring him round.'
0:25:05 > 0:25:09'The patient is conscious but completely disorientated.'
0:25:11 > 0:25:13What's your name?
0:25:20 > 0:25:26'The young American has been injecting drugs, but the paramedics have got to him in time.'
0:25:43 > 0:25:49'The young man joins the Japanese couple, who are still waiting to be seen.'
0:25:58 > 0:26:02'The fire team are called out on another emergency.'
0:26:05 > 0:26:08'It's not Carnival tourists this time,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11'but an elderly man who hasn't been answering his phone.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15'His son is worried there's something seriously wrong.'
0:26:18 > 0:26:21'The paramedics are already at the scene,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25'but with no sign of life inside, they have to force their way in.'
0:26:38 > 0:26:40'While tourists celebrate,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43'this Venetian has slept through the whole thing.'
0:27:35 > 0:27:37'Venice is on red alert.
0:27:37 > 0:27:43'For the first time in 26 years, the Pope pays a visit.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47'The Grand Canal is to close,
0:27:47 > 0:27:52'and security services put the city on lock-down.'
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd