Italy banning cruise ships from Venice

Italy has moved to ban large cruise ships from entering and docking in Venice waters following demands from environmental activists and talks by the United Nations to list the coastal city as an endangered World Heritage Site. 

Italy’s culture minister, Dario Franceschini, tweeted that under approval from Italy’s Council of Ministers, large ships will no longer pass through the Giudecca Canal near the historic Piazza San Marco square starting Aug. 1. 

A #Venezia dal 1 agosto le grandi navi non passeranno più davanti a San Marco per il canale della Giudecca. Approvato il decreto legge in consiglio dei ministri. Orgoglioso di un impegno mantenuto. @UNESCO @AAzoulay pic.twitter.com/1HXIwpbHbZ

— Dario Franceschini (@dariofrance) July 13, 2021

“The intervention could no longer be delayed,” Franceschini said in a statement, according to The New York Times. 

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi also praised the move, calling it a “step for the protection of the Venetian Lagoon,” The Washington Post reported. 

The ban applies to ships heavier than 25,000 tons, longer than 180 meters (about 590 feet), taller than 35 meters (about 115 feet), or that use a specific amount of fuel in maneuvering the ship in the waterways. 

According to the Times, Franceschini said the move Tuesday was to avoid “the real risk of the city being put on” the “World Heritage in Danger” list developed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

UNESCO had been scheduled to discuss putting Venice on the list in the coming days at a World Heritage Committee summit. 

A report released late last month said that UNESCO planned to advocate to “inscribe Venice and its lagoon (Italy) on the list of World Heritage in Danger.” 

The Italian government previously banned ships from docking in Venice’s historic center, with all cruise and cargo ships set to be rerouted while the city worked on developing construction that could support cruise ships docking in Venice. 

However, UNESCO said in its report last month, “The State Party should continue searching for a long-term solution with utmost urgency, prioritizing the option of banning large ships from the Lagoon altogether, and preferably redirecting them to more suitable ports in the region.”

UNESCO currently has 53 historical sites listed as endangered in areas throughout South and Central America, Africa and the Middle East. 

Francesco Galietti, Italian director for the Cruise Lines International Association, said Tuesday’s move “is a positive decision and could be the beginning of a new era.”