The highest floods since 1966 have spurred hundreds of young volunteers to gather in Venice to help with the cleanup.

The nonprofit organisation "Venice Calls" has helped co-ordinate the effort that is being praised by locals.

The generosity of a young generation is shining through, despite murky waters lurking across the streets of Venice and into world-renowned buildings. 

"In the volunteer group we had almost 2,500 people working so it was really big and amazing to feel the love that all of these people had for the city and what they wanted to bring to the city and help us," said Maurizo Burngaa from the Venice Calls volunteer group.

Residents have called these young volunteers "the angels of the salt."

The name is symbolic of the saltwater that erodes Venice's historic buildings and slowly eats away at its foundations during repeated floods.

With the city gripped by a crisis, the volunteers are gripped with determination.

"The hardest part was to let the people know that we have a plan to try and help them," said Piero Risica, the spokesman for Venice Calls.

For these millennials this is the highest flooding they have seen in their lifetime.

The Acqua Alta store in Venice is considered to be one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world and it experienced the full fury of the floodwaters.

Volunteers gave up their free time to get this business back up and running and it is now no longer flooded with water, but with people instead.

The water has dried up, the sun is out and St Mark's square has reopened and is full of tourists.

"In no time they get all their shops cleaned up and smelling nice, it's like a normal day for them," said Dave McKay who is touring the city.

The extent of the damage will be assessed but experts already estimate its at least one billion euros. ($1.1bn) 

As the bustling city returns to normal, scars have been revealed and the calls for change are growing.

"Every year, it gets worse and we are feeling it. We need to start changing things right now and this is the moment for us to do it," said Burngaa.

The government has been building flood barriers at the entrance to the Venice lagoon since 2003 but the work has been hit by delays and a major corruption scandal. 

Authorities are now promising they will be finished by spring 2021 but in the meantime seas are rising and locals are begging for these barriers to be built.

Many believe this project, known as Mose, will help preserve this historic region for the next generation.