<span style="color: #222222;">The Italian government has declared a state of emergency for Venice after an exceptional tide surged through churches, shops and homes, causing millions of euros worth of damage to the UNESCO city.<br />''</span><br />''Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said yesterday that the cabinet had approved the state of emergency and ordered the immediate release of 20 million euros in funds for the most urgent interventions in the devastated city after Tuesday's flooding, the highest in 50 years.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Several museums remained closed to the public as authorities assessed the extent of the damage to Venice's cultural treasures, such as St Mark's Basilica where water invaded the crypt.</span><br />