Italy Bans Cruise Ships from Entering Historic Venice City Center

After more than 10 years of cruises navigating Venice’s historic Giudecca Canal, they have been permanently banned.

Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini announced the news on Wednesday, stating that it was in response to a UNESCO request, describing it as “a correct decision, expected for years.”

After a collision in 2019 between one of these floating cities and a Venetian port left five people injured, pressure mounted to ban cruise ships from stopping in the Italian city. Now they will have to dock at the industrial port until a new solution can be found.

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Scientists and officials have argued that the wake of the huge vessels, which can legally enter as long as they weigh less than 96,000 tons, have eroded the foundations of the city, which regularly suffers from flooding.

The Giudecca Canal runs past the iconic St. Mark’s Square, or Piazza San Marco: seat of the Duchy of Venice when it was the world’s most prosperous mercantile republic, as well as the astonishing St. Mark’s Basilica.

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Cruise ships have not been able to enter Venice since the COVID-19 outbreak, and it appears that the 2019 tourist season was the last to feature them, at least until a permanent alternate port can be found, an issue for which the government plans. approach. conduct a “call for ideas”.

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