Italian police warned on Thursday that anti-vaccine campaigners had called for armed attacks during planned anti-government protests this weekend and that eight people were being investigated for incitement to crime. A police statement said searches had been conducted in six Italian provinces, including Milan, Rome, and Venice, and that the …
Read More »Venice hires armed guards as city struggles with overcrowding amid COVID-19 rules
With Italy and Venice, reopening for tourists following a sustained COVID-19 shutdown, authorities have resorted to arming guards across the city in a bid to control overcrowding and combat the spread of coronavirus. Lines for public transport have continued to increase in the city as COVID-19 restrictions limit passenger capacity …
Read More »Tourists wade through Venice square hit by unseasonal flood
Rare summer flooding submerged Venice’s famed Piazza San Marco in up to a metre of water overnight. The lagoon city is often hit by so-called “acqua alta” (high water) in autumn and winter, and devastating floods in November 2019 caused hundreds of millions of euros of damage. Sunday night’s event …
Read More »Economic fears in Venice as cruise ship ban comes into force
Environmentalists and cultural heritage activists have long sought to limit the number of vessels travelling through the Italian city, calling them an eye-sore and pointing out that they could cause pollution and erosion. The law — which will see only small passenger ferries and freight vessels enter the lagoon city’s …
Read More »Venice bans large cruise ships to save World Heritage title amid mixed reviews
This week, in what Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini called a “historic” move, Italy’s cabinet of ministers approved a ban on ships weighing more than 25,000 metric tons or longer than 180 meters (590 feet) entering the lagoon basin near Venice’s St. Mark’s Square, the narrow Giudecca Canal and the …
Read More »First post-COVID cruise ship leaves Venice amid protest
The first cruise ship to leave Venice since coronavirus restrictions were eased set sail on Saturday, but some local residents protested over the return to normal, unhappy about the passage of giant liners through the historic lagoon city. Hundreds of people rallied on land and small boats fluttering flags saying …
Read More »Venice flooded by unusual high tide, 3rd highest for June
A quarter of Venice has been submerged by a near-record high tide for June, a time of year when such flooding is rare. The water level in Italy’s lagoon city reached 116 centimeters (3 feet, 9.7 inches) late Thursday, the third-highest mark for June. That level indicates that around a …
Read More »Jellyfish filmed swimming through Venice’s now-crystal clear waterways
The incredible flora and fauna of the Venetian canals have been caught on video as the lack of boats on the waterways leaves the water to clear and natural life to thrive. The Italian city world-renowned for its canals has been in lockdown since early March, having been among the …
Read More »Dolphins, fish swim in Venice’s clear canals as Italians sit in quarantine
Italians took to social media to show the upsurge in marine life as Venice’s canals are clear of boats amid the coronavirus outbreak. As nonessential businesses in Italy come to a halt, the canals of Venice were cleared of the usual boat traffic, allowing Italians to see dolphins, fish, and …
Read More »Italy’s Venice underwater for the second day.
Venice residents woke up to find more than 70 percent of the city underwater for the second day in a row on Wednesday, after being hit by record tides and strong winds on Tuesday. Residents and tourists are struggling to make their way through the flooded St. Mark’s Square, while …
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