Now that we are just a step away from the completion of an unprecedented work of engineering, an illustrated book takes readers on a journey of discovery of the history of the Serenissima and its relationship with water, helping them to understand a project capable of saving the city while respecting the environment in which it is set. At a time like the present, in which the global situation is profoundly affected by threats from the climate, the environment and the rise in water levels, this publication sets out to reveal the wholly Italian originality of the way this problem has been tackled through a major engineering scheme, the MOSE, implemented in Venice, a city devastated by the phenomenon of high water. Starting therefore from a global perspective and recounting the history of engineering and landscaping in the Serenissima-which since antiquity has intervened in a decisive manner to protect its lagoon, deviating rivers and constructing imposing dikes-the book describes the realization of this incredible work in Venice, a city that has always been characterized by technical innovation linked to water. Through a lavish set of photographs taken during its construction, along with graphs and drawings that explain the functioning of the technology that underpins the barrier and its management in a clear and accessible way, all put together by the Consorzio Venezia Nuova, the invisible complexity of the MOSE is illustrated in a manner that even the nonspecialized reader can understand, revealing the real advantages of an undertaking that has all too often been swamped by polemical judgments that admit of no appeal. All this serves to show the commitment a nation has made to creating a structure for the benefit of the community, as well as reflecting the awareness of the delicacy of its relationship with the city, its population and its environment: a constantly renewed challenge that combines the profundity of knowledge with the courage of invention. Introductions by Daniele Franco, Ministry of Economy and Finance; Luigi Brugnaro, mayor of Venice. Essays by Elisabetta Spitz, commissioner for the MOSE, Milva Andriolli, Stefano Libardo, Alvise Papa, Davide Sernaglia, Elena Svalduz, Pier Vellinga, Anja Visini. Graphic design, drawings and picture research: Consorzio Venezia Nuova.