Venice, Italy : A big ship across the lagoon begins. Venice, famed for its serene canals, is a major destination for Mediterranean cruises. Every year, some 600 “big ships” pass through Giudecca Canal, treating passengers to views of the 15th century Doges Palace and St. Mark’s square. But critics say that the floating behemoths are aesthetically noxious, and worry that a disaster like the sinking of the Costa Concordia could irreparably damage the city’s ancient architecture.

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Venice, Italy : A big ship across the lagoon begins. Venice, famed for its serene canals, is a major destination for Mediterranean cruises. Every year, some 600 “big ships” pass through Giudecca Canal, treating passengers to views of the 15th century Doges Palace and St. Mark’s square. But critics say that the floating behemoths are aesthetically noxious, and worry that a disaster like the sinking of the Costa Concordia could irreparably damage the city’s ancient architecture. They also worry that larger ship motors are damaging Venice’s fragile, salt-corroded foundations, which already require constant attention to keep from sinking.

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Size: 4221px × 2604px
Location: Venice Italy
Photo credit: © Ferdinando Piezzi / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: big, boat, canal, cruise, damage, environmental, giudecca, grandi, lagoon, manifestation, navi, pollution, protest, protesters, ship, ships, threat, tourism, venice