The MOSE anti-flooding system has protected Venice from damages estimated to be worth more than 2.6 billion euros over the past five years, the transport ministry said on Wednesday.
The system of 78 floodgates - which operated for the 100th time on Wednesday - "avoided damages to the city for over 2.6 billion euros", the transport ministry said in a note.
It added that on 44 occasions, the anti-flooding system protected the Lagoon City from high tides with sea levels reaching between 80 and 110 centimetres.
In an exceptional event, the water touched nearly 195 centimetres on November 22 2022, it added.
The system is an "example of Italian ambition and excellence", commented Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini.
The MOSE came into operation in 2020.
The network of 78 barriers that guard the entrance to the delicate lagoon is regularly activated to save Venice from the acqua alta that often submerged it.
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