The firemen of Venice | TF1 | Reportages

They are called the “Vigili del fuoco.” They work only from boats, and their firehouse is an ancient 14th century palace. Venice, city entirely built on a base of wood. All the houses are adjoining and the smallest fire can turn into a disaster. In 1996 a fire entirely destroyed “La Fenice”, the grand theater of Venice. The Venetians always had a phobia about fire. The firemen of Venice might be termed sort of “babysitters” of this historic city, where getting to the place of a fire is very difficult. They have to transport all their material by hand, even the ladders. During the carnival, there are increased incidents of fire. Aware of being the guardians of the past, as well as in charge of the present, they don’t hesitate to respond to the slightest alert.