Only a fifth of eligible voters at the ballot box. More votes and more Yes votes in the historic city and islands. Fewer than 45,000 out of 206,533 people voted on Sunday, December 1, 2019, in the Referendum for the separation of Venice and Mestre. The quorum is the lowest in history: 21.73%. In 2003, … More Referendum: 21.7% voter turnout ends bid for autonomy

November 30, 2019 As I write the campaign for the Referendum in Venice has ended, and one day remains before the vote. The past few weeks have seen an extraordinary effort to provide information from all sides of the issue. Many different groups and organizations in both Venice and Mestre hosted events with prominent supporters … More Intense campaign for Referendum ends with eight public debates in two weeks

  28 Nov. 2019 Until recently living in Venice was perhaps inconvenient, but it was wonderful: a city on a human scale, no traffic, little pollution and an incredible social security, even at night, because everyone knew each other and there was a widespread neighborhood watch. It was a city where the children played in … More VENICE YESTERDAY, TODAY… AND TOMORROW? By Stefano Croce

[Ed. Note: what follows is an open letter to an online news journal, written by local activists, regarding information suppression in advance of the Referendum vote on 1 December] 23 Nov. 2019 Letter to the Director The date of the referendum is approaching, and the Mayor, contra legem, has called for abstaining from the vote. … More The Referendum: Silence and Intimidation.

This post is dedicated to Mario Rigo, former Mayor of Venice (1975 – 1985) and early supporter of Venetian autonomy, who passed away earlier today. An active supporter of separation until his passing, Mr. Rigo was scheduled to appear at a citizens’ meeting about the referendum to be held at Ateneo Veneto on Nov. 24. … More Guide to the Referendum for the separation of Venice and Mestre

Acqua Alta. Created by man. By Petra Reski 14 November 2019 It’s the ultimate nightmare. 30 years in Venice and I have never before seen an acqua alta of this sort. At 11:30 PM it reached its maximum level: 1.87 meters, just below the record peak reached during the catastrophic “Acqua granda” of 1966, as … More Acqua Alta. Created by man. By Petra Reski