Dstandish's Weblog

A request from the company ‘Venice Yacht Pier Srl’ to construct new docking facilities along the Riva dei Sette Martiri are being scrutinised by Venice Port Authority and Venice City Council.
The proposal is for a double quay and a dock of 2,430 square meters to be situated at the water’s edge between St Mark’s Square and the public gardens. It would be used by private yachts, which flock to Venice during the summer months, cultural events and festivals.
There has been an increase in luxury yachts mooring in Venice. During 2007, 201 luxury boats tied up – a rise of 1,000 percent on 2002 – and stayed an average of four days, spending between €800 (US$1,055) and €2,000 (US$2,367) a day for various port services (Anna Somers Cocks and Thierry Morel. 2009, 37. “Tourism.” In ‘The Venice Report,’ Roberto Agnoletto et al., 30-45. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Despite rising demand and revenue from private yachts for Venice, the environmental association Italia Nostra has opposed the proposal for new docking facilities. Italia Nostra has sent a letter to Paolo Costa, President of Venice Port Authority, Giorgio Orsoni, Venice’s Mayor, and Renata Codello, Venice’s Superintendent for architecture. The letter rejects the proposal for the docking facilities on the grounds that increased yacht traffic and the dock would affect the waters and an artistic and natural view.
Further details about the docking proposal and the letter of opposition can be read in an article published by Venice’s daily newspaper Il Gazzettino di Venezia on 21 February 2011 here:
Venezia. Darsena per yacht a San Marco: altro maxi progetto scatena le polemiche