Carnival Venice 24/7

'Venice, one of the most stunning cities on Earth.

'Over 50,000 tourists arrive here each day

'for Carnival, culture and canals.

'But what they don't see is how this city works.

'This is Venice from the inside.

'Around the clock, emergency teams fight to keep a city built on water

-'safe and working.'

-ALARM BELL

'With unprecedented access to police, fire and medical teams,

'we come face-to-face with unique challenges

'and life-and-death drama.'

Up to yesterday, she was all right. This morning she was not responsive.

'This is Venice 24/7, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary.'

'As Venice emerges from an especially harsh winter,

'those living here gear up for the first major event of the year.

'In two days, Carnival begins.

'Carnevale meaning "meat is allowed" is a 1,000-year-old tradition

'of indulgence before the abstinence of Lent.

'Leading up to Easter, thousands of revellers are about to descend

'on St Mark's Square, in the heart of the historic city.

'Venice earns over £2 billion a year from tourism

'and owes half of its jobs to the industry.

'Carnival is one of the city's most important events of the year.

'It starts high above the square.

'It's from the 16th-century St Mark's Campanile

'that Carnival is officially launched.

'Here, riggers are preparing the flight of the angel, or "colombina".

'A young woman is lowered over the crowd to signal the start of the ten-day Carnival.

'In charge of the spectacle is chief engineer Niccolo Ferrari.'

The flight of the angel is a tradition.

It's something like, er...

It's a tradition that comes from many...yeah, hundreds of years ago.

'The event is said to date back to a 16th-century spectacle.

'A young acrobat wowed the crowds by walking on a tightrope

'strung high across the square.

'In the 18th century,

'the acrobat fell from the wire and plummeted to his death.

'The spectacle was abandoned until a safer version was revived in 2001.

'The safety of the structure used to reenact the spectacle

'rests with Niccolo.'

This is the hanging point.

The cable will be secured in this position.

So this is the main important part of the stage for our purpose.

So this is important to be tested before the launch of the angel.

'The cable used to make the descent is fastened to the scaffold

'100 metres below the Campanile.

'At the other end, the job is complicated by the need to safeguard this protected historic monument.'

'They must rig a massive pulley system weighing over 1,000kg

'without making any holes in the building.

'It must perfectly support the angel during her descent.'

'Across town, the fire station is on standby.

'Massimo Pierre Federici,

'a fireman with over 20 years' experience, is covering the shift.

'The first call-out is from a hotel on the other side of town.'

'Hurrying to get there,

'the fire brigade are allowed to break the 3mph speed limit.

'But Venice's complex numbering system can add extra minutes.

'With a little local help, the fire team manages

'to locate the hotel with the trapped Italian tourists.'

'The group has been inside the lift for almost half an hour.

'It's stuck just below floor level and the door has jammed.'

'It's a simple matter of finding the right switch to open the door.'

GASPS OF RELIEF

'The city's 400 gondoliers are taking their first Carnival tourists.

'For the daughter of one, this Carnival is special.

'Beatrice Coloru will be competing in the Maria festival,

'a version of a 14th-century tradition.'

'The 12 girls taking part in the Maria beauty pageant

'have been selected from a shortlist of 60 hopefuls from the region.

'The girl who wins will be crowned Queen of the Carnival,

'and may also become next year's angel.

'For Beatrice's father, whose family has been here for over 1,000 years,

'it would be a huge honour.'

I can say that I'm proud of this situation

where Beatrice is going through.

Because it is happening once in the life.

And...I'm glad that this happened

because I'm a gondolier and a real Venetian,

and this has something to do with this wonderful culture.

'As one girl hopes to be crowned Queen this Carnival,

'the girl who won last year is about to find out what's in store

'for her flight.'

'Tomorrow, 23-year-old Silvia Bianchini, this year's angel,

'will be suspended 400 feet above the ground.'

'With only a day to go, the team work into the night

'to get everything ready in time.

'It's the big day, and Carnival is hours away

'from being officially launched.

'Police are holding a briefing at the back of St Mark's Square to plan exit routes for the crowds.'

'Thousands of people are expected to watch the flight of the angel.'

'The body was found in a canal

'right next to St Mark's Square by a hotel concierge.'

'It looks like the victim has been dead some hours.

'It's up to the police to try and identify the young man.'

'Police remove the body before the area is flooded with tourists.

'He is loaded into a special casket and taken to the city's morgue.

'The police will begin investigating restaurants and hotels

'to try and shed light on what might have happened.'

'The body will be held by police, and if unclaimed,

'it will be returned to the Chinese embassy.'

'St Mark's Square, said to have been described by Napoleon

'as the finest drawing room in Europe.

'For locals and tourists, the square personifies the city.

'For Silvia and the team, now is not the time to take in the view.

'These are critical moments.'

'Up on the belfry, the team does its final checks.'

CHEERS AND APPLAUSE

'Niccolo and his team have planned and executed these flights for over a decade.'

This was the best flight of my 11

because of the distance from the cables and for her.

She was very kind. She was very charged.

And the flight was very beautiful.

'Carnival is officially, and safely, under way.

'One of the most spectacular masquerades in the world begins.

'For most, Carnival is about dressing up and having fun.

'The masks were originally to break down class barriers,

'entitling the wearer to anonymity, equality and freedom during the party season.

'They still embody the spirit of Carnival,

'but for criminals, they can create a golden opportunity.

'Camouflaged amongst a sea of distracted tourists,

'pick-pockets hope to do good business.

'The police forces are spread across the historic centre,

'some immediately recognisable,

'others less so.'

'Paolo has worked in the force for over ten years.

'He's been paired with Giovanni for the last four.

'As experts in covert surveillance, working in Venice gives a new meaning to "going undercover".'

'The plan is to get into position and catch the thieves in the act.

'The police are also looking for any other hands that wander.'

'No-one is above suspicion,

'not even Napoleon and Josephine.

'The police scan the crowd, focusing on groups of young men.'

'Finding criminals amongst the crowds can be tough for the police.

'It never hurts to have help from ANOTHER force.'

'In the district of Santa Croce, to the west of the centre,

'Beatrice and her family gather to wish her luck in the Maria festival.'

-This is mine.

-No!

CORK POPS

'After the party, Beatrice gets into her mediaeval competition costume

'and makes her way across the city to join her fellow brides.'

To win or not to win is the same thing for us. She is there.

It doesn't matter. I hope for her, but for us, she is the Maria.

Yes, for me, too.

THEY CHUCKLE

SIREN BLARES

'The 118 paramedic team have been called out.

'It seems the patient is in the heart of the party,

'St Mark's Square.'

'During Carnival, fancy dress can be a hindrance in an emergency.

'When they arrive, there is no sign of the injured man.

'He's on the terrace of the 11th-century Basilica,

'20 feet above the square.'

'The injured person is a Japanese doctor on holiday with his wife.

'He slipped and split his face open while taking a picture.

'He doesn't want to go to hospital.'

'But this man's concern isn't so much his departure, but how much his accident will cost.'

'The doctor is persuaded to follow the team to hospital,

'where his injury can be fully investigated.

'Among the crowds, the police are struggling to remain undercover.'

'With so many people around, it can be difficult to get about.'

'Believing they're on the trail of a criminal, they step up their pursuit and plan to arrest him.'

'When the moment is right, they decide to close in.'

'On this occasion, the officers were following the wrong gang.

'Giovanni and Paolo don't get their man...'

'..this time.'

'The quest to find the Queen of the Carnival is under way.

'In the 16th-century casino, the 12 get ready.'

'Gondolier's daughter Beatrice has high hopes of winning the prestigious Venetian title.'

'The girls take part in a series of events across the city.

'They are judged by a ten-strong panel of experts from the worlds of art, politics and literature -

'although some of the rounds owe more to modern Italy than old.

'After a final round of preening and parading, the judges vote.

'Italy's TV networks and the Venetian glitterati are out in force.'

'The winner comes from 20 miles outside of Venice's city centre.

'Beatrice's local status hasn't swayed the judges.'

'As evening draws in, party celebrations crank up a notch.

'It's a busy night for the emergency services.

'Paramedic Anna Scarpa has worked in the city for 15 years, and has seen it all.'

SPEAKS IN ITALIAN

'The majority of call-outs are during the day, but during Carnival, the nights can be even busier.

'A young man has been found lying on the street in the district of Cannaregio.'

'Anna injects a drug into the man's neck to try to bring him round.'

'The patient is conscious but completely disorientated.'

What's your name?

'The young American has been injecting drugs, but the paramedics have got to him in time.'

'The young man joins the Japanese couple, who are still waiting to be seen.'

'The fire team are called out on another emergency.'

'It's not Carnival tourists this time,

'but an elderly man who hasn't been answering his phone.

'His son is worried there's something seriously wrong.'

'The paramedics are already at the scene,

'but with no sign of life inside, they have to force their way in.'

'While tourists celebrate,

'this Venetian has slept through the whole thing.'

'Venice is on red alert.

'For the first time in 26 years, the Pope pays a visit.

'The Grand Canal is to close,

'and security services put the city on lock-down.'

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd