Heavy snow swept across northern Italy on March 10 with temperatures dropping to below zero, the Reuters said.

In Venice, tourists walked along raised walkways in St. Mark's Square above the snow-covered piazza and empty gondolas bobbed on the city's canals, with their covering of snow making it unlikely that any tourists would be tempted to go for a romantic ride, the agency added.

In the town of Bologna snow ploughs struggled to clear major roads to allow traffic to circulate. But the historical centre looked beautiful as the snow rested on the ancient statues.

Spain and France have also been experiencing exceptionally high snow falls with widespread disruption to road and rail travel.