Vanishing Venice
The unique history of Venice has been embroidered with intrigue, romance, art, music, and politics for over 900 years. Neither land nor water, but shimmering somewhere in between, the city lifts like a mirage from a lagoon at the head of the Adriatic.
For centuries it threatened to disappear under the waves of “acqua alta” – incessant flooding caused by the complicity of rising tides and sinking foundations, but this is the least of its problems.
Each day, more than 60,000 people visit Venice – more than the entire population of the city. The serenity of the Laguna is broken by towering mega-cruise ships carrying tourists that swarm the piazzas and narrow streets, compromising the city’s fragile infrastructure. Many locals feel that the city’s maintenance, soaring costs of living, may exceed the value of tourist revenues that flow into the coffers annually. Residents are becoming increasingly frustrated and they are literally being forced to move from their homes to the mainland because rents and services have priced them out of their hometown and their lifestyles cannot be sustained.
Venice’s economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism. Venice has started to be a city only for tourists and it is now faced an identity crisis. One funding solution is to open even more the gates to the tide of tourism. This is could be a mainstay for the Venetian economy, but also a curse for Venice locals.
If no balance is struck, will there still be a Venice in 50 years? Or will it merely be a drowning museum?
Vanishing Venice
The unique history of Venice has been embroidered with intrigue, romance, art, music, and politics for over 900 years. Neither land nor water, but shimmering somewhere in between, the city lifts like a mirage from a lagoon at the head of the Adriatic.
For centuries it threatened to disappear under the waves of “acqua alta” – incessant flooding caused by the complicity of rising tides and sinking foundations, but this is the least of its problems.
Each day, more than 60,000 people visit Venice – more than the entire population of the city. The serenity of the Laguna is broken by towering mega-cruise ships carrying tourists that swarm the piazzas and narrow streets, compromising the city’s fragile infrastructure. Many locals feel that the city’s maintenance, soaring costs of living, may exceed the value of tourist revenues that flow into the coffers annually. Residents are becoming increasingly frustrated and they are literally being forced to move from their homes to the mainland because rents and services have priced them out of their hometown and their lifestyles cannot be sustained.
Venice’s economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism. Venice has started to be a city only for tourists and it is now faced an identity crisis. One funding solution is to open even more the gates to the tide of tourism. This is could be a mainstay for the Venetian economy, but also a curse for Venice locals.
If no balance is struck, will there still be a Venice in 50 years? Or will it merely be a drowning museum?
