A combination of high atmospheric pressure in the upper Adriatic, cold weather and low tides left the famous canals dry.
Water levels have been reported to be up to 60cm lower than normal levels.
The retreating waters mean gondolas and water taxis have been unable to navigate the city’s elegant canals.
It is the second year in a row that Venice’s canals have been left without water despite being prone to heavy flooding several times a year.
The problem is so bad that in many old houses, the former staircases used to unload goods are now flooded and former ground floor is deluged and useless.
Studies have indicated the city is sinking at a rate of 1-2mm a year.
In 2003 an engineering project to prevent flooding was started to raise mobile gates to separate the lagoon from the Adriatic sea when the water is too high.
In 2015 water levels were as much as 28 inches below normal levels.
Tourists were shocked by the lack of water in the famous city.
Despite the tourism boom, Venice’s population has shrunk from 175,000 in 151 to around 55,000.
High prices, driven by tourism, erosion of canal side buildings and the logistics of a carless city have been blamed for the fall in residents.
Many Venetians now live on the mainland and commute to the historic city – usually to work in the tourism sector.
Venice’s record low was set in 1934, when the tide was four feet below average.