Venice cruise ship accident reignites debate over giant vessels in lagoon

On June 2, 2019, a massive cruise ship collided with a dock at Venice's maritime station, ramming a smaller vessel and injuring five people. The incident has been described as a near-tragedy and a predictable consequence of allowing enormous ocean liners to navigate the fragile Venetian lagoon. Critics, including civic committees and environmental groups, had long warned of such dangers. The accident occurred just before the Festa della Sensa, a traditional ceremony symbolizing Venice's marriage to the sea, which was held in a subdued tone with sporting regattas canceled. Photographer Gianni Berengo Gardin's 2015 exhibition "Venezia e le grandi navi" at the Olivetti store in Piazza San Marco, a FAI property, had already documented the threat. Proposals to limit ship tonnage, reroute vessels through the Contorta canal or the Vittorio Emanuele III canal, or move cruise traffic to Trieste have been stalled by economic interests and political inaction. The upcoming 45th Vogalonga on June 9, a non-competitive rowing event originally created to protest wave motion and city decay, may become a platform for renewed activism. The author, Barbara Colli, argues that the only sensible solution is to keep large ships out of the lagoon entirely.