NewsItaly: Cruise ships banned in Venice from August 1st

Italy: Cruise ships banned in Venice from August 1st

Cruise ships will no longer be allowed to enter the lagoon city of Venice in the future. Italy hopes that this will prevent irreparable damage.

Rome – From August 1st, large cruise ships will no longer be allowed to enter the lagoon city of Venice. Infrastructure Minister Enrico Giovannini announced the decision on Tuesday (13.07.2021) after a cabinet meeting.

Giovannini described this as a “necessary step to protect the environment, the landscape and the artistic and cultural integrity of Venice”. Prime Minister Mario Draghi spoke of an “important step in the preservation of the Venice Lagoon”. Banning cruise ships in Venice has been discussed for years, but has only now been implemented.

Cruise ships banned in Venice – longstanding discussion

Cruise ships weighing more than 25,000 tons, more than 180 meters in length or more than 35 meters in height are to call at the Marghera industrial port in the future. However, this is only a temporary solution. Smaller cruise ships should still be allowed to dock in the city center.

The year-long debate flared up again after the cruise ships returned at the beginning of June after a long break caused by the corona. Before the corona pandemic, millions of visitors flocked to the lagoon city on the cruise ships every year.

Corona reignited the discussion about the cruise ship ban

Waves caused by the huge ships damage the foundations of the world heritage city of Venice and threaten the sensitive ecological balance in the lagoon. The ships that sail extremely close along the coast also pose a threat to other ships. The UN cultural organization Unesco proposed at the end of June that Venice be put on the Red List of World Heritage in Danger.

Mick Jagger campaigned for a ban on cruise ships

International artists such as Mick Jagger, Wes Anderson and Tilda Swinton issued an open letter to Draghi and the Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the beginning of June calling for a complete ban on cruise ships in Venice.

In the letter, they also called for better management of tourist flows, the protection of the lagoon’s ecosystem and the fight against property speculation in order to preserve “the physical integrity, but also the cultural identity” of the city. (ktho / afp)

Now it's Monet's turn: activists throw mashed potatoes at painting in protest against climate...

“This painting is not going to be worth anything if we have to fight over food,” said one of the two activists protesting against climate change. The painting was unharmed, the museum said.

The extreme right returns to Italy: Giorgia Meloni is already prime minister from now...

The far-right politician appoints Giancarlo Giorgetti, a moderate and pro-European figure, as its economy minister.

Is the far right back? These important countries are already represented by this position

The victory of Giorgia Meloni and her party in the elections in Italy is part of the advance of conservative politicians on the continent. These are some of its main representatives.

These three European countries already have far-right governments. Will they join forces?

The presidents of Hungary, Viktor Orban, and Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, celebrated the victory of the post-fascist party in the elections, so an alliance between these leaders is expected.

Who is Giorgia Meloni, the new Prime Minister of Italy?

The leader of the post-fascist Brothers of Italy party is on track to lead a right-wing coalition government and become the first woman to hold this post.

More