Unesco recently shocked many in Italy by putting Venice on a negative list. One of the main reasons: the cruise giants. The government in Rome now wants to act.
Rome / Venice – Italy’s government has decided to ban large cruise ships through part of the Venice lagoon.
The measure applies to cruise ships with more than 25,000 gross register tonnes or a length of more than 180 meters or more than 35 meters in height, said the government in Rome. Even vessels that exceed certain emission standards can no longer drive through parts of the lagoon of the world heritage city.
Ships that are considered sustainable or did not fall under the criteria for the ban should continue to pass the lagoon, it said. It is about cruise ships with a size of around 200 passengers.
According to a government announcement, the ships will no longer travel through the Canale della Giudecca, the Bacino di San Marco (St. Mark’s Basin) and the Canale di San Marco in the historic center from August 1st. The dpa had initially reported that the ban applied to the lagoon, in fact only parts of it are affected.
Important step in protecting the lagoon
The government sees its decision as an important step to protect the Venetian lagoon. The measures of the Council of Ministers around Prime Minister Mario Draghi follow after experts from the UN cultural organization Unesco suggested a few weeks ago that Venice should be placed on a negative list for endangered world heritage. The Unesco justified the idea among other things with the cruise ships in Venice. Critics warn that the ships pollute and endanger the environment in Venice.
It was not until the beginning of June that a cruise ship from Venice cast off again after a good one and a half years of forced Corona break. For years, locals and activists have been protesting against the huge ships in the architecturally sensitive city in northeast Italy. dpa
