Luigi Costantini / AP

A woman wades through high water with ice floating on its surface in a flooded St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy, early on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013.

The natural phenomenon of high water ("acqua alta") which floods the Venice lagoon generally occurs between autumn and spring when high tides are reinforced by seasonal winds. The water reached a height of 143 centimeters (4 feet 8 inches) on Monday night. 

-- The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse

Barbara Zanon / Getty Images Contributor

A man carries a woman during high tide in Venice on Feb. 11, 2013.

Francois Xavier Marit / AFP - Getty Images

Water rises on St Mark's Square during an acqua alta late on Feb. 11, 2013.