0:00:05 > 0:00:09Venice. One of the most stunning cities on earth.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Over 50,000 tourists arrive here each day for the carnival,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17culture and canals.
0:00:17 > 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 > 0:00:30emergency teams fight to keep a city built on water safe and working.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32ALARM BELL RINGS
0:00:32 > 0:00:35With unprecedented access to police, fire and medical teams, we come
0:00:35 > 0:00:41face-to-face with the unique daily challenges and 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 non-responsive.
0:00:46 > 0:00:53This is Venice 24/7, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04It's the middle of summer,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07and temperatures are soaring into the 30s.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13As the city swelters, Venetians and visitors prepare
0:01:13 > 0:01:18to pack the canals and cool off for the city's own celebration -
0:01:18 > 0:01:20il Redentore.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Meaning "the Redeemer",
0:01:25 > 0:01:28this religious festival dates back 500 years.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33Today, though, it's less about piety and more about the party.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36There are lavish fireworks, food and plenty of drink.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Canals are so packed with boats, they say you can walk across them
0:01:40 > 0:01:43from one side to the other.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55The festival today may be about big bangs and marine revellers,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59but for some, like Father Andrea, a Capuchin friar,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02the Redentore's religious origins haven't been forgotten.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07TRANSLATION FROM ITALIAN:
0:02:20 > 0:02:26Palladio's Santissimo Redentore Church was built in divine gratitude
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and marries the religions of East and West.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Venice saw itself as a gateway to the East, linked by trade.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36It was trade which brought the city to power
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and then, with some unwelcome cargo, to its knees.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14The religious significance of the church symbolises the resurrection of the city
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and it's still a place of pilgrimage today.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19For two days, the church will be linked to the rest of Venice
0:03:19 > 0:03:21by a specially built temporary bridge,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24allowing thousands of worshippers to come.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29It's from here that the celebration will kick off in 24 hours' time.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38With less than a day until the party starts,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41the city is packed, and the temperature has soared.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47At the city's hospital, they get a call-out.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57A yellow code is the second most serious.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01For Dr Michele Alzetta, head of the Venetian ambulance service,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04summer in the city is especially challenging.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05SIREN SOUNDS
0:04:05 > 0:04:10Apparently, a person lost consciousness in a shop.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12They called the 118 service.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14With the heat, of course,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16you have people suffering from heat stroke and things like that.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Because in Venice people tend to walk a lot and it's hot,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23they sweat, maybe they don't drink enough.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26On their way to the patient, the crew are slowed down.
0:04:26 > 0:04:33Recent storms mean the canals are swollen, and access is difficult.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35GRINDING NOISE
0:04:36 > 0:04:39GRINDING NOISE
0:05:01 > 0:05:03We just managed to scrape underneath that bridge,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05but the tide is rising,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09so I don't know if we'll manage to make it back through the same place.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13It depends how long we'll be staying on the spot with the patient.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19The collapsed patient has regained consciousness
0:05:19 > 0:05:22but is suffering from high blood pressure.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Hello.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26What do you take for high blood pressure?
0:05:26 > 0:05:30We'll take a vein, just to keep you under control.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Did you lose consciousness completely or not?
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Although the man takes pills for high blood pressure,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40it seems he's been taking another kind of medication.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54- Are you allergic to anything?- No. - Breathe with your mouth open.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57They fear the man might have suffered a heart attack,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01so Dr Alzetta decides to take him to the hospital.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06No, no, don't stand up. We'll put you seated.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07As the main canal routes are packed,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11the ambulance struggled to find a place to moor.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Unfortunately, it means a longer route back to their boat.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20We had an episode of atypical chest pain, but, although he's young,
0:06:20 > 0:06:26he has several risk factors, so he'll be kept under observation
0:06:26 > 0:06:29in our intensive observation unit in the emergency room.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34The team will hand the patient over to the cardiac specialists
0:06:34 > 0:06:35and prepare for their next job.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49There are over 400 bridges in the city connecting Venice's districts.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52The four most vital are those crossing the Grand Canal,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54including the famous Rialto.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55For pedestrians,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58the bridges are the quickest way to navigate the city.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01But for those unable to climb the sometimes steep steps,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04a short distance can turn into a long wait.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06ALARM BELL RINGS
0:07:06 > 0:07:10The team are preparing to rescue an elderly woman
0:07:10 > 0:07:13trapped in a lift on a bridge in Giudecca.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24The lady has no water with her, and it's 32 degrees.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27They need to get to her quickly
0:07:27 > 0:07:29before the heat inside the lift becomes unbearable.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47The firemen carry keys to all of Venice's public lifts,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49but with a numbering system as erratic as the postcodes,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52it could take a while to find the right one.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Grazie.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Grazie.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05In a city crisscrossed by 176 canals,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08bridges can be, as well as a help, a daily hazard.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Bridges are essential in keeping Venice moving
0:09:32 > 0:09:36and have existed here for centuries.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Without them, the city's six districts would be cut off
0:09:38 > 0:09:43from one another, so maintaining these walkways is critical.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Engineer Adriano Ercole works with the company
0:09:48 > 0:09:53responsible for maintaining the infrastructure of this ancient city.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13As they conceal essential pipework for the city,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16these bridges need to be kept in good working order.
0:10:49 > 0:10:55With 55 miles of canal banks and 347 public bridges to maintain,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58the team must work all year round.
0:11:02 > 0:11:08At Venice's dockyard on the island of Tronchetto, to the west of the historic centre,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12the highlight of the Redentore is being prepared.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Antonio Parente is responsible for the Festival fireworks,
0:11:15 > 0:11:21a spectacular display lighting up Venice from over 60 miles away.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25We are ready to prepare the firework show for Saturday night.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29It's the Redentore party.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34It's one of the oldest events in Venice for fireworks
0:11:34 > 0:11:40and for party, for the people that live in Venice.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44We have around...5,000 fireworks.
0:11:44 > 0:11:51The fireworks are prepared here before being transported to the launch site in St Mark's Basin.
0:11:51 > 0:11:57The operation is so dangerous that the team will have their own police escort.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01The most delicate in that time is the loading,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03because we are managing fireworks.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05The other section a little bit dangerous
0:12:05 > 0:12:10is the plugging in of the connection of all the line,
0:12:10 > 0:12:17because we are working with special igniters that are very delicate.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21The fireworks are loaded into the launch tubes, where they're then charged.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Antonio works with a highly trained team.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43The fireworks are covered with aluminium to protect them
0:12:43 > 0:12:47from the heat and prevent early ignition.
0:12:47 > 0:12:53But in this weather, electric storms are common, posing a real hazard.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58It's always dangerous, but we need to stay away
0:12:58 > 0:13:05and...to pray that no lightning falls exactly on the barge.
0:13:05 > 0:13:11This massive display, lasting 40 minutes and costing £100,000,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14will light up the party in less than 24 hours.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Venice wakes up to the day of the Redentore.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22While the city prepares,
0:13:22 > 0:13:27the emergency services ready themselves for another day's work.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32Their first callout of the day is from an elderly resident, apparently trapped in her home.
0:13:38 > 0:13:44Massimo Pierfederici, a fireman with over 20 years' experience,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46is in charge of today's shift.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48SIREN SOUNDS
0:13:48 > 0:13:52They're heading to the neighbouring district of Cannaregio.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53HORN SOUNDS
0:13:58 > 0:14:01The local police are already at the scene. They can hear the lady inside
0:14:01 > 0:14:03but can't get into the apartment.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15The flat faces the rear courtyard of a restaurant, but before they decide to force entry,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19the team needs to know how she's locked herself in.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51The elderly woman is confused,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53so the team decide to enter through the bathroom.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02But the window is too small, so a more drastic solution is needed.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08The team try to force the door open,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10but the elderly lady becomes agitated.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24She thinks it's burglars, so Massimo tries to reassure her.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45After the shock, the lady needs a tranquilliser - Italian style.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52His colleagues successfully open the door,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54and Massimo delivers on his promise.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Mission accomplished, the team can head back to base.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Nearby, work is underway on the temporary bridge.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15The specially built walkway delivers thousands of people
0:16:15 > 0:16:19to the Redentore church for the duration of the two-day festival.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Over 300 metres long and built across 25 wooden pontoons,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27it takes a day to complete.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Before the middle section is put in,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35blocking off the canal to very tall ships, this last one slips through.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37FOGHORN SOUNDS
0:16:40 > 0:16:43At the dockyard, the fireworks are ready to be transported
0:16:43 > 0:16:45to their final position in St Mark's Basin.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01With over 5,000 fully primed fireworks on board,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04the rafts have to be pulled along carefully by tugboat.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09For every inch of the journey, the police ride alongside.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And with the last boats clearing the canal,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15the final pieces of the bridge can be pulled into position.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38It seems some are already in the party mood.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44With celebrations just hours from kicking off, the director
0:17:44 > 0:17:49of Venice's Fire services, Alessandra Bashar, knows what chaos is in store.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Redentore is probably the most important day of the year
0:17:55 > 0:17:57for Venetians, for Venice.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02With so many boats in the water, it could be difficult to reach
0:18:02 > 0:18:05the perfect point in a short time,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08so we prefer to be there.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15It's five o'clock - the festival is about to begin.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Venice's emergency teams assemble on the water as party boats
0:18:19 > 0:18:21jockey for the best view of the fireworks.
0:18:27 > 0:18:28On the completed bridge,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32the Bishop of Venice officially opens the celebration.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44The temporary bridge will bring thousands of worshippers
0:18:44 > 0:18:46to Palladio's Redentore church.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56This may be an ancient religious festival, but today,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58it has a very 21st-century edge.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09As the sun goes down,
0:19:09 > 0:19:13tens of thousands of partygoers pour onto the water.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Local police Commissioner Giordano Zwin is preparing for the long night ahead.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Giordano must ensure the waterways don't get too congested,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33but already hundreds of boats are gathering.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48Up to 5,000 boats, heaving with young Venetians and tourists, gather to celebrate.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53It's still early, but some people are already getting out of hand.
0:20:13 > 0:20:19The main task for the police now is to keep everyone away from the explosive fireworks zone.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52HE BLOWS HIS WHISTLE
0:21:10 > 0:21:14For the police, this is one of the most challenging nights of the year.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17They must keep control of thousands of young partygoers.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45Revellers often tie their boats together, to create giant party rafts.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48These block the waterways and drift towards the fireworks zone.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22The paramedics are also heading out.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And the first call-out has already come through.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53A man has passed out on one of the boats, but the caller wasn't clear about which one.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07After a frantic search,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11the paramedics finally think they've located the right boat.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40The patient is now conscious but clearly a little worse for wear.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59The team need to get the man to the ambulance boat
0:23:59 > 0:24:01where they can assess him, away from the crowds.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25The 118 team will help the man sober up before escorting him to shore.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32With the fireworks just moments from being launched,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Giordano doesn't have long to clear the area.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52With an extra police boat to lend a hand,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Giordano finally clears the safety zone.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17At last, as midnight approaches, all eyes turn skywards.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37It takes 35 pontoons to carry the fireworks, and 15 staff
0:25:37 > 0:25:42to oversee a performance that leaves revellers awestruck.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:26:20 > 0:26:24After the final celebration in a packed year, it's business as usual
0:26:24 > 0:26:28for those who live and work in the city they call La Serenissima.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58In Venice, it's like working in a postcard,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02but every place is a special moment.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12No, I would never change job. This is the most interesting thing.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I am really happy with my job, so it's OK for me.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27I hope to be OK for it.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd