We thought we’d seen it all about the massive influx of tourists in Venice and the difficulties the region was having in coping with it. The city was so fed up with this that it invented an “entry” fee, or fine, for groups of 26 people. But stories between “locals” and tourism continue to emerge. The last concerns one of the most unexpected demands in the history of the Italian enclave.

Shoes are important. This news takes us to Harry’s Bar, a famous and exclusive hospitality venue that, according to legend, invented the bellini cocktail and hosted such famous guests as Orson Welles, Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote and Charlie Chaplin throughout their 93-year existence. . Located near St. Mark’s Square, the venue has become a meeting point for artists and writers.

In fact, over the years it has maintained its reputation as one of Italy’s most elegant establishments, a reputation that owner Arrigo Cipriani does not want to lose. Apparently the splashing of waters increasingly crowded with boats and tourists has gone too far, and Cipriani is suing the city council and the harbor captain’s office because his wealthy clients’ shoes are always getting wet from the ships’ waves. It passes at full speed.

The place is not alone. The 92-year-old owner told the media he was fed up with authorities’ alleged lack of action against a problem that has long sparked protests by Venice residents and neighbors.

The trick, of course, is Harry’s Bar’s location. In fact, the problem for the businessman is twofold; because the boats passing quickly through the Giudecca canal also prevent customers from having fun on each other’s terraces. Establishment called Harry’s Dolci on the island of Giudecca.

Request. Cipriani therefore decided to take legal action after Venice’s heritage inspector rejected his request to install “splash guards”, an unprecedented measure that is likely to lead to more lawsuits.

As the businessman told Corriere della Sera, “It is increasingly common for residents of Harry’s Dolci to have wet feet due to the waves of the Giudecca canal, as boats pass at full speed without respecting the speed limits. . “The waves are getting bigger.”

It’s a long-standing problem. The problem of waves and splashes from boats in Venice is a growing concern for walkers and residents alike. The heavy traffic of boats, water taxis and tourist boats produces large waves known as “moto unoso”, which erode the foundations of buildings and damage historic facades.

Additionally, splashes often wet pedestrians walking near canals, affecting the stability of nearby structures. It is often claimed that this phenomenon is actually an actor contributing to the acceleration of the city’s collapse. Local authorities have made regulations to limit boat speeds and reduce traffic in certain areas, but the problem does not seem to have been solved due to the heavy flow of tourists and commercial activities on the canals.

Radars. This was the last of the proposals presented by the city council at the beginning of the year. The idea: Install radars on the city’s canals, which are often crowded with gondolas, water buses, taxis and other boats. The speed limit, introduced after a series of accidents, has increased to 7 km/h on the city’s main canals and 5 km/h on smaller canals, although it no longer seems to have much effect.

Meanwhile, local people did not remain idle. Activists of Gruppo Insieme, a group of associations that have been protesting against boats operating at high speeds for several years, announced that they are preparing a report to be submitted to the court, listing all violations of the city’s navigation rules. .

Accidents. This is the end result; They are increasing and sometimes fatal. In September 2019, three people died when a high-speed speedboat trying to break a speed record crashed into artificial reefs in the Venice lagoon. In 2013, a German tourist died when the gondola he was in crashed into the pier by a reversing hydrofoil.

Even famous gondoliers have joined forces to protest water taxis and speedboats. Their claim is that their careless driving puts everyone’s lives at risk as it causes waves that rock small boats.

So it seems clear that Cipriani’s unusual request is just one symptom of a problem that has been troubling local residents for some time. The man is very clear and points out the real culprit: “The wave problem got worse because the leaders did not know the city. “Those who exceed the speed limit should be fined,” says the businessman.

Image | Tony Hammond, ATHENA

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