Voices From Venice

This section of our web site is dedicated to voices and views from Venice. It is our hope to give our readers a deeper insight in to the people, groups and work being done in Venice today.

–2016, A Turning Point? Venicemyfuture Spokesman Marco Gasparinetti recounts in words and pictures the stirring story of the ‘flash mobilization’ that adorned the city in banners on July 2, 2016 and started a movement.

–Venice Reshaped?, by Paola Minoia: this is an excerpt from Ms. Minoia’s manuscript for a chapter in a forthcoming book. The author examines the role of tourism and gentrification in the transformation of Venice’s economy and living spaces, as well as how local efforts by citizens’ groups mirror those in other historic cities. The whole chapter goes in to great detail and is well worth reading (at the link provided above one can purchase the chapter or the whole book). Our sincere thanks to Paola Minoia for sharing this excerpt.

–Italia Nostra: End of 2016 Statement. This statement provides a powerful summary of the problems still waiting to be solved in Venice,  not just in 2016 but also moving forward in to an uncertain and politically hostile 2017.

MOSE, the History of a Failure: “an anthology of horrors” This brief report on MoSE from Oct. 2017 by Roberto Giovannini explains the very complex situation directly.

An appeal to the City Council as they vote on the sale of public properties in Venice. This speech was delivered to the City Council by Stefano Croce for Veneziamiofuturo, Nov. 30 2017.

Housing Crisis in Venice: the Municipality appeals for empty public housing units to be assigned.: this is an appeal written by Giovanni Andrea Martini, President of the Municipality of Venice, Murano and Burano in April 2018.

Special Report: Veniceland and no end in sight: this is report from 2018 by reporter and writer Petra Reski

A Misunderstanding, it Would Seem: an excerpt from Tiziano Scarpa’s introduction to the 2018 photography collection Dream of Venice in Black and White, edited by JoAnn Locktov

Repopulating Venice. By Giuseppe Tattara and Gianni Fabbri: this housing proposal is from the co-authors (with R. Bartolini and F. Migliorini) of “Manage Tourism and Organize the City”, published in 2018.

Craftsmen’s Association warns: “We are destroying Venice”: this is a news story from February 2019.

June 2, day of the cruise ships. A point of no return an essay by longtime environmentalist and activist Mario Santi.

Rialto Novo Association launches initiatives to revitalize Rialto market: information about a project that aims to redevelop and revitalize the Rialto market, spearheaded by urban historian Donatella Calabi.

The Acqua Alta of 12 Nov 2019: chronicle of a nightmare in Venice: This account was published by La Voce di Venezia at what was around 2 or 3 AM in Venice, just after the storm and flood. This translation was posted about 3 hours later that same night.

VENICE YESTERDAY, TODAY… AND TOMORROW? By Stefano Croce: this piece, released on the eve of the Referendum vote, captures the aspirations of some who fervently supported the separation.

Coronavirus. The crisis that can save Venice. Within weeks of the Coronavirus lockdown in early 2020 the environment in Venice began to change and people began to imagine a new future for Venice. Published on March 3, 2020, this article by Claudio Mardricardo is an example of the kind of imagining that continues, as the outcome of the pandemic for Venice remains uncertain.

Venice? Here! A View from the Sestiere, by Giovanni Leone Another manifesto for the future of Venice, by Giovanni Leone, President of the Social Promotion Association Do.VE (Dorsoduro Venezia), and prolific commentator on politics and Venice, published Nov. 30, 2020.