In Venice, the “sea monsters” are making a comeback.
After 17 months of absence due to a pandemic, a first cruise ship, the MSC Orchestra, entered the walls of the Venetian Lagoon.
He left on Saturday, June 5, with 650 passengers on board, heading for the Greek port of Piraeus.
On the docks and on small boats of the famous lagoon, two groups of demonstrators clashed, on either side of the huge ship.
One defends the arrival of these liners, a sign of a return to normal for tourism.
The other points to the protection of the environment and the heritage of the city of the Doges.
Because cruise ships are accused of endangering the ecosystem of the lagoon and eroding the foundations of buildings.
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At the end of May, the government had also prohibited access to the lagoon to cruise ships.
But in practice, this can only be respected in a few years, when the construction of a terminal outside the city will be completed.