Venice has managed to stay off the list of “World Heritage Sites in Danger” | After the ban on cruise ships

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported on Thursday that Venice avoided entering the list of sites considered as “World Heritage in Danger”. As explained by the agency, the decision took into account the measure announced last week by the Italian government which prohibits the passage of large cruise ships through the canals of the tourist city.

The advisers of the UN body, who had recommended in June that Venice be added to this list after an annual report on its conservation due to over-tourism, they backtracked and chose to give Italy a deadline until December 2022 to take action to preserve the ecosystem.

The decision, explained the Unesco Committee, meeting in Fuzhou (China), took into consideration the ban imposed last week by the leadership of Prime Minister Mario Draghi, which establishes that large cruise ships will not be able to enter the basin, neither on the channel of San Marcos, nor on the channel of Giudecca.

“Venice was not inscribed on the list of World Heritage in Danger thanks to the government’s decisions to block the passage of large ships in front of Saint Mark’s Square and the Giudecca Canal. A first and important result has been achieved “, welcomed the Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini.

“Now the global attention to Venice must remain high and it is everyone’s duty to work for the protection of the lagoon and to identify a way of sustainable development for this unique reality, in which culture and the creative industry are called upon to play a leading role, ”he added.

Beyond the damage caused by cruise ships, the Unesco Committee noted that the special features of iconic Venice were also deteriorating due to other factors. In this sense, the agency’s report mentioned the impact of mass tourism and warned against constant decline in population. He also targeted deficiencies in city management, which, according to experts, implied a loss of the historical authenticity of Venice.

This Wednesday, the mythical port of Liverpool was removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List due to the development of real estate projects detrimental to the authenticity and integrity of the site. Among the most criticized construction plans is Everton Football Club’s new stadium, which was approved by the executive without any public consultation.

Venice cruises

On July 13, the Italian government officially announced that from August 1, large cruise ships will be banned from navigating the canals of Venice.

As specified by the Italian authorities in a press release, Ships over 25,000 gross tonnage which exceed 180 meters in length and 35 meters in height and whose emissions contain more than 0.1% sulfur, will not be able to enter the basin, the San Marcos Canal or the Giudecca canal.

Ships with these characteristics will have to moor from August in the industrial port of Marghera, within the lagoon, where the construction of an infrastructure to accommodate them is planned.

Smaller cruise ships (around 200 passengers), on the other hand, will be able to continue disembarking in the heart of the city.

Although defenders of heritage and the environment have denounced for years the damage these ships have caused to the fragile ecosystem of the lagoon and to the foundations of the historic city center, The debate returned to center stage last month, with the return of cruise ships after a year of pandemic, a period in which Venetians were able to enjoy greater tranquility and better quality. air.