Turnstiles to enter St Mark’s Square

Here’s the photo that has been doing the rounds on various social media pages, showing the gleaming new turnstiles installed at the entrances to St Mark’s Square. They are very similar to the ones that have been set up at many of the vaporetto-stops (easily avoided by entering the pontile via the exit-route rather than the entrance, something many Venetians do, simply because they cannot be bothered to pull out their season-tickets). Some Venetians have shrugged their shoulders resignedly at this further evidence of the gradual transformation of their city into an open-air museum or theme-park.

The official declaration from the city-council accompanying the photos states that in yesterday’s board-meeting the Director for Tourism proposed the setting-up of electronic tourist-counting devices at all entrances to the Piazza in order to obtain official numbers of visits; the proposal was welcomed by the Mayor and the other councillors.

(It is perhaps worth mentioning that the photos and accompanying text appeared on-line on April 1st.)

3 Comments

  1. Francine Poleshuk

    I am saddened to see this happening in beautiful Venizia. Ti amo Venezia Bellissima!

    Reply
    • Gregory

      Fortunately it is just an April Fool’s joke – for the moment, at least…

      Reply
      • Domie

        OUF ! I felt like in a nightmare ……I love somuch this place

        Reply

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