Forty years after the 1966 floods, a conference recalls that tragic event, offering the opportunity to debate the current decline of the city of Venice and to propose solutions to halt the exodus from the city and to combat the decline of its artistic and architectural heritage. Organised by the Instituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettre ed Art, the conference was held in 2006, the contents of which are reported here in this book. The essays focus on administrative problems, conservation of the city and the lagoon, and the restoration of the buildings are followed by personal considerations and reflections about the city from a number of eminent Venetians and non-Venetians.