0:00:05 > 0:00:09Venice, one of the most stunning cities on Earth.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14Over 50,000 tourists arrive here each day for the Carnevale,
0:00:14 > 0:00:16culture and canals.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21But what they don't see is how this city works.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24This is Venice from the inside.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Around the clock,
0:00:26 > 0:00:32emergency teams fight to keep a city built on water safe and working.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35With unprecedented access to police, fire and medical teams,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38we come face to face with the unique daily challenges
0:00:38 > 0:00:41and life-and-death drama.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Up to yesterday evening, she was all right
0:00:44 > 0:00:46and this morning, she was found not responsive.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51This is Venice 24/7, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04It's spring in Venice and hot on the heels of Carnevale,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07the tourist season is in full swing.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12But this year, the city is bracing itself for one very special guest.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17In 48 hours, the Pope is paying a visit.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Catholicism is still a dominant force here.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23The city is steeped in symbols bearing the names of saints.
0:01:23 > 0:01:29There are more than 100 churches in just a three-mile stretch.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32This pontiff will be the first to come here in 26 years
0:01:32 > 0:01:34for the two-day visit.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37The whole of Venice is on red alert.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51On the Grand Canal, station chief Stefano Parma
0:01:51 > 0:01:55and Alessandra Bassa, one of the country's first female fire chiefs,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57are en route to St Mark's Square.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Now we are going to get to San Marco.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08We will have the Pope here in Venice.
0:02:08 > 0:02:14And so we have to check the last details about our organisation,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17with regard to the rescue of the population.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21St Mark is Venice's patron saint
0:02:21 > 0:02:24and is said to have used the city as a base to preach the Gospel.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28St Mark's Square is at the heart of Venetian Catholicism.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32With so many people in the same place,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36even something really not so bad
0:02:36 > 0:02:38can be a problem.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42In just 48 hours, the whole city will be closed down.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49The shops closed because of security, of course.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53And a crowd of people here in Venice,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56probably it is the same amount of people
0:02:56 > 0:03:01that usually is in Venice, I mean, in the whole city
0:03:01 > 0:03:03but on Saturday, they will be
0:03:03 > 0:03:06probably all here in Piazza San Marco.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09The Pope's route around the square
0:03:09 > 0:03:11is carefully marked out with security barriers.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16Say the first official meeting with the population will be here,
0:03:16 > 0:03:17will take place here.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Because here, the Pope, probably over there,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23will leave the boat.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25And then, he will be here,
0:03:25 > 0:03:31he will...have a little speech with the population.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46But with an event as large as this,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50there are also more serious risks to take into account.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Following months of preparation,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16the chief commanders of Venice's police and fire services
0:04:16 > 0:04:20will be coordinating 2,000 security personnel.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22The Pope arrives in two days' time.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39With the Papal visit taking place
0:04:39 > 0:04:42just a few days after the shooting of Osama bin Laden,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45security forces are on the highest alert.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49For Venice's police, such as Chief Commissioner Susanna Simone,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52the multi-million pound operation must run like clockwork.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30The Papal visit is aimed at speaking directly to Venice's Catholics
0:05:30 > 0:05:32and to highlight the city's religious history.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36At least three popes were born here.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40The religious freedoms the city allowed during its long republic
0:05:40 > 0:05:44led to a fractious relationship with the Vatican.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Today, almost a third of Venice's population is elderly
0:05:47 > 0:05:51and not everyone will be out on the street to welcome the Pontiff.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Many will watch the visit on television.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00That's provided the aerials are working.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04The fire team, led by Giuliano Manari, has been called out.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Not a life and death emergency,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09but vital to resolve on this important day.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29The team must remove the aerial altogether
0:06:29 > 0:06:32before another gust of wind knocks it into the courtyard.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Attached to ancient, often decrepit roofs,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51it doesn't take much to knock a TV aerial loose in Venice.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10As Venetian homes are hundreds of years old,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13the roofs, often badly maintained, can be precarious.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19After a skilled balancing act,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21the team finish the job.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23But not everyone will be happy with the outcome.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Not far from St Mark's Square, business is booming
0:07:36 > 0:07:39for some of Venice's most recognisable figures,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41the gondolieri.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45But for Giampaolo D'este and brothers Franco and Bruno de Rossi,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48the Pope's visit is about more than extra tourists.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08These are three of the four gondoliers selected out of 400
0:08:08 > 0:08:11by a specially appointed panel.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14As well as over 70 years' collective experience,
0:08:14 > 0:08:16there is a rich family heritage.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50At the docks on the city's west side,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52brought from over 150 miles away,
0:08:52 > 0:08:57local police are about to unload the Venetian Popemobile,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00a converted six-seater golf buggy.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09Local police commissioner Giordano Zuin is overseeing the delivery.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12In his 31-year career in Venice's police force,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16this is his first experience of papal transport.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31The job of driving the buggy with His Holiness aboard
0:09:31 > 0:09:35falls to local police driver Francesco Martucci.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39With over 30 years in the force, he was chosen for his VIP experience.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59The police hope they can get the buggy to St Mark's Square
0:09:59 > 0:10:01without damaging it.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19The Pope's first appearance in the city
0:10:19 > 0:10:23will involve a ten-minute tour of St Mark's Square in the buggy
0:10:23 > 0:10:25for the benefit of the crowds.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Venice hasn't always welcomed the Pontiff.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36During the Counter-Reformation in the 17th century,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40Venice refused to execute heretics as the Vatican had ordered.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43They adopted a more liberal approach,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45which pitted them against the powers of Rome.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Francesco familiarises himself with the route.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20This special Popemobile weighs half as much as an average car
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and has been designed not to damage the paving stones
0:11:22 > 0:11:24in St Mark's Square.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40It's just hours until His Holiness arrives.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Every corner of the city is being given over to the preparations.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49On the east side of St Mark's Square,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53the 14th-century Doge's Palace has been requisitioned.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55What was once the residence of Venice's head of state
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and the place from which the republic was ruled
0:11:58 > 0:12:01is today being turned into a mobile hospital.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07In charge of the paramedics is Dr Michele Alzetta,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10a Venetian who studied in South Africa.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14For the Pope's visit, we are expecting a lot more work
0:12:14 > 0:12:17because there are going to be a lot more people in Venice.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20But anyway, we've organised a very complex system
0:12:20 > 0:12:24so we believe we will be able to face it successfully.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30For 48 hours, this building will become a modern medical facility.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Tonnes of equipment have been moved in to create a field hospital,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38including an intensive care area.
0:12:38 > 0:12:39This being Venice,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42the emergency teams have an extra level of concern.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46People falling into canals is still a frequent occurrence
0:12:46 > 0:12:51because people get drunk and the canals don't have barriers, usually.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Unfortunately, finding a dead body in a canal is not a rare occurrence.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03Out in the lagoon, the fire teams are practising crucial rescue drills
0:13:03 > 0:13:06in anticipation of tomorrow's Papal visit.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09They're being put through their paces by Mauro Masin,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13a father of two with over 15 years' experience in the fire brigade.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05With less than a day to go before the Pope arrives,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09the specially-selected gondoliers have to smarten up their act.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01It's the morning of the historic visit
0:15:01 > 0:15:04and the crowd is beginning to gather.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Venice's security forces carry out one final security sweep.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21On the ground, specially trained policemen patrol
0:15:21 > 0:15:23and scan every inch of the square.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33On the roofs and in the skies above,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36all eyes are focused on the crowd below.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53In a few moments' time, the city will be on lockdown.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07Local police chief Giordano has a final word with his team.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48As well as the police units on the ground and in the air,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52the Vatican's own security team provide a serious presence.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14CROWD CHEERS AND APPLAUDS
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Finally, after 26 years and meticulous preparation,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Pope Benedict XVI makes his appearance.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48The speech lasts around ten minutes
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and Francesco's big moment is upon him.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06He steers the Pontiff slowly around the square to greet the crowds.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25The ten-minute trip ends at the Doge's Palace,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27where the Pope will spend the night.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49The next morning, while most of Venice carries on as normal,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52paramedic Ada Scalpa and her team
0:18:52 > 0:18:54have been called out to the district of Dorsoduro.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57A 75-year-old man is having trouble breathing.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15The man already has a history of heart problems,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18so Ada needs to check just how severe the situation is.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55The elderly couple lives alone
0:19:55 > 0:19:57so the team want to take the man to A&E
0:19:57 > 0:20:00to have the cause of his symptoms investigated further.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38At the hospital, the man will be seen by a cardiac specialist
0:20:38 > 0:20:42to establish the cause of his breathing problems.
0:20:45 > 0:20:46Across Venice,
0:20:46 > 0:20:50the authorities are gearing up for the Pope's second day.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Today, they must close the Grand Canal.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59The Pope will be taken along the canal and through the city,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01finally arriving in St Mark's Square.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05The procession will be led by Giordano.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Since Giordano will be out with the Pope's escort,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55responsibility for closing the Grand Canal to all boats
0:21:55 > 0:21:58will be delegated to his second-in-command,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Giovanni Cassadei.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03It's like closing down the city's lifeline.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43With around 35,000 boat journeys made in Venice every day,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47closing its main transport artery is not going to be easy.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49WHISTLE BLOWS
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Sealing off the canal to incoming boats is complicated
0:22:51 > 0:22:54as hundreds of smaller waterways lead into it.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Giovanni has managed to clear the canal.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41For possibly the first time since the very foundation of Venice,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43the Grand Canal is completely still.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The Pope is just moments away.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11At last, the Pontiff makes his journey down the Grand Canal.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23This is the first chance for the entire city
0:24:23 > 0:24:26to catch a glimpse of Benedict XVI.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02For the final leg of his journey downriver,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04the Pope transfers to an open-topped gondola.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16This is when the Pontiff is at his most vulnerable.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18BELLS CHIME
0:25:26 > 0:25:28For this moment,
0:25:28 > 0:25:33gondoliers Giampaolo, Franco and Bruno are his closest protection.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51The gondoliers raise their oars in the traditional salute.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10In return for their efforts,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12the gondoliers get their much-hoped-for blessing.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29We're with the port authorities, as they lead a 300m-long cruise liner
0:27:29 > 0:27:31through the delicate historic centre.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34And it's a case of make or break,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37as priceless works of art arrive for the city's world famous Biennale.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Now we still have to take it out of the crate
0:27:41 > 0:27:43and move it on the platform.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Of course, it will be not easy.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd