A well-attended public assembly was held on Tuesday. The requests of those who remain on the island of the island of lacemaking: transportation, services, greenery and enhancement of the enormous historic and traditional heritage. “Welcome to those who come here. With rules”
By Antonella Gasparini
14 July 2023
Almost two thousand residents to date. The island of Burano, the colorful and hugely popular pearl of the lagoon of Venice, met in a public assembly on Tuesday. Those who make a living and reside there are resisting, despite decades of more or less forced exodus, practically what is also happening in almost all the archipelagos. Here the inhabitants, Venetian citizens, who welcome visitors with open arms, as they are also a source of prosperity, are asking for respect and consideration through a decalogue.
Coordinate by Marco Borghi, president of the Municipality of Venezia, Murano and Burano, who in the coming days will form a Council on the island, the assembly saw the participation of sixty residents and speeches by city councilors: Marco Gasparinetti (Terra&Acqua), Giovanni Andrea Martini (Tutta la città insieme!), Cecilia Tonon (Venezia è tua) and Sara Visman (Movimento 5 Stelle).
Services. “This is the most delicate point, the most urgent issue to address – explained the administrator of the Facebook page “Infoburano”, Roberto Vio – Over the years the boats that also served Treporti have disappeared, there are the large vaporetti, but the enormous influx of tourists to the island, even if it does not discourage the endless queues of excursionists who wait and travel in crowds, it greatly complicates the lives of the inhabitants. Vio also talks about the problem of toilet facilities on board. “If they are closed, they create great inconvenience, and this is not a good calling card,” he says.
Together with the citizens and their “voice” on Tuesday the institutions spoke about “overtourism”, of the need to define a maximum number of visitors, a path which councilor Gasparinetti proposed following in City Council some time ago, making Burano a type of “case study” which could experiment with the introduction of a maximum number of visitors, especially on the “black alert” days: festivals and holidays. Many problems and issues emerged: in addition to transportation, the lack of public spaces and the scant investment in enhancing the enormous historic and traditional heritage (lacemaking first of all) of which Burlano remains the repository (and there are fewer and fewer younger generations who stay to be able to preserve and carry it on). There are those who talk about the “indifference” of the city administration, and others who defend its work.
“I want to clarify that after some of my reports especially on transport problems (certainly not about the maximum number, which I am completely against), the vice-Mayor Andrea Tomaello came to Burano on May 29 and I accompanied around the island where we heard different opinions from inhabitants and representatives of local associations”, we read in a comment on “Infoburano”.
“Listening on the part of the institutions is the first step to understanding what isn’t working and to avoid the risk of making political evaluations – commented president Borghi – This is the reason we came to the island”. Regarding excursionism and tourism pressure the Municipality will form a Council, which will also deal with housing. “The lack of services leads to people abandoning Burano and makes it less attractive. We have perceived the difficulties and now we will study them more in depth”.
In the decalogue the residents of Buranello emphasize: the insufficient boat spaces (the proposal is to create an equipped marina free for the residents), security, behavior and respect for the places (requesting more local police present), the assignment of empty public housing (around one hundred fifty units between the ATER homes and the municipal), the reopening of the civic center at the former church of the Cappuccine (city property), speed reducers to counteract moto ondoso, the excavation of rii and canals (which hasn’t been done for years), and the reinstatement of contributions to the restoration of and mortgages for first homes that are financed with the Special Law. The final request is for suitable spaces for the preparation of Carnevale floats.
-Source: Venezia Today
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