Venice:
VENICE: A GIANT IMPACT

Report, Camera: Julieta Rudich
Editor: Elisabeth Madeja
Recording engineer: his Manfredi Manera (must be there!)

00:10 --
VENICE - A Giant Impact
00:10
Since time immemorial, the power and sophistication of Venice have been based on trade and shipping.
Even today, sailors and businessmen define the image of this city- but in a completely new way. 00:22

00:32
The ships are getting bigger – the biggest are fourteen storey giants towering into the sky. There are thousands of people on board these ships.
 
00:48 --
OT
Admiral Stefano Vignani
Marina Director Veneto
The happiest moment during every cruise is when all the passengers come out onto the deck to enjoy the magical views of Venice. These tourists make our city an estimated profit of 150 million euros a year.

01:07

There is room on each ship for up to three thousands passengers. They will probably spend one or two days here in Venice, which is excellent business for the tourist industry. And yet, despite this financial blessing, many people have mixed feelings about the cruise ships.

01:27 OT
Davide
Gondolier
The giant ships certainly bring environmental problems. Even the canal had to be dug to a greater depth for them. But like anything else in life, there are pros and cons. So, we need to make the best of an awful situation and learn to deal with it. 01:44

01:50
Venice is an extremely fragile jewel, and it is a wonder that it has survived until today. Scientists repeatedly warn that the city might simply sink some day. The shipping traffic keeps the water’s surface in constant motion. The giant ships move slowly forward, but they still unsettle great masses of water.

Their radar equipment disturbs telephone connections and television reception in the surrounding areas.

 
Many Venetians complain about the vibrations. They can feel the tremors every time a cruise ship or ferry passes near by.

 
2:27 OT
Etele Pechy
Farmer

The ships - at least the smaller ones - could go through the back channel. But no, the politicians can’t be bothered to arrange that - -(2'36) Look at how the houses vibrate every time a ship passes by! The new steamers are a product of modern technology, but they exercise power over our city. All this, just to maximize profit. Somehow, these vessels are a symbol of our times!

02:58
The new cruise ships and the older ferries both have their share in destruction. The ships burn crude oil and pollute the air, already thick thanks to a nearby refinery. Lung disease is significantly more prevalent in Venice than in any other city in Italy. Not only does the poor air quality endanger the health of nearly 60,000 residents - it can also become a problem for visitors. And of course the precious palazzos of the city suffer too. For years, a group of artists has been trying to raise the authorities’ awareness of the problem of large ships.

Ot 03:37
Umberto Sartory
Artist
This is red marble from Verona - a very delicate stone. The sulphuric and nitric acid in the black smoke is destroying it. The ships are not the only cause of this. The Venetians are also to blame as they run a harbour that is totally inappropriate for today’s shipping. A hundred thousand-ton ship will not fit into a port built for sail-boats!

4'02
The cruise ships anchor in the harbour in the middle of Venice. This is where millions of passengers get on and off. The facilities have been modernized to provide a more efficient service, but the basic structure is the old one. The port is a major source of income for the city and provides many jobs, which is why people still put up with the huge vessels.

OT 4'24
Massimo Cacciari
Philosopher, Mayor of Venice
Venice is the largest cruise port in the Mediterranean. The ships want to weigh anchor here. The tourists book these trips especially to see Venice; they do not want to be anchored in some other port outside of the city. This generates big business and it would not work any other way. It may be that our world is spinning into oblivion, but money makes the world go around.

04:48

04:48
Not everyone shares the mayor’s apathy. A new generation of Venetians are starting to publicly express their discontent. They fear that the environment and conservation come up short when huge economic interests are at stake. Even the mayor’s nephew is amongst the protestors.

05:04 OT
Tommaso Cacciari
Student
In Venice, the installation of environmentally friendly solar panels is forbidden for aesthetic reasons. And yet they allow 350-meter-long ships to tower up from the Campanile of San Marco! Isn’t that an aesthetic issue? It’s absurd. We want things to change!

05:20
OT
Massimo Cacciari
Philosopher, Mayor of Venice
A mayor cannot simply agree with the demonstrators! He has to be a bridge between the different interest groups. Even I know that this basin is not suitable for 350-meter-long ships...you can just feel it. That’s why the shipping companies should adjust their interests to suit the needs of our city.

   
05:44
The international magnates the mayor is referring to are, of course, the most important customers of the giant shipyard. They build their cruise ships here in Venice and ensure thousands of jobs. The shipyard is the pride of state industry in Italy.

06:02
OT
Paolo Capobianco
Shipyard Director, Fincantieri
It is glorious to build floating cities! That’s what’s important to us. But if environmental problems arise then these must, of course, be solved. This, however, is the responsibility of the authorities!

06:16
The Port Authority has at least persuaded those in charge of the cruise ships to use thinner oil when coming into Venice, in order to protect the environment. But this is not, as yet, a written rule. 

06:27 OT
Giangarlo Zacchello
Port Authority Director
Vessels that do not run under the Italian flag – that is, Greek, American or Chinese ships, would say to us: "I am an international vessel and can therefore burn whichever oil is allowed under international law". We can’t make them do anything. We have to do much more than just limit cruise tourism to save Venice. But then no visitors whatsoever would be allowed in.

6:54
But who wouldn’t want to see Venice? The visitors will keep coming. However, do the ships really have to anchor in the centre of the city? More and more people are suggesting a port outside the lagoon for larger vessels. And transits to the city in smaller boats.

07:10
OT
Barbara Heidemann
Tourist Guide
I think the tourists would agree if we were to ask them. You do not necessarily need a big ship to take you to the heart of Venice. There are other ways to reach the centre. And this would be much better for the city. 

7:22
And so, responsibility, which no authority wants to take upon itself, rests with the visitors. For now it is down to them to take a detour in order to preserve the city’s unique cultural heritage for future generations.

End at 7'43
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AKM:
1) Title: Symphony No.1 in D Major, "Titan" --
      Author: Gustav Mahler
     Publisher: Classic Sphere 3506.2059-2
2) L'italiana in Algeri
Composer: Gioachino Antonio Rossini
Publisher: "The essential" Digital Recording DDD, ESS2466