Protection, safeguarding and decency of St Mark’s Square: the decisions of the Venice City Council
The Venice City Council Administration’s press conference, which presented the decisions taken by the Venice City Council to defend and safeguard St Mark’s Square and the surrounding area, ended a few hours ago in Ca’ Farsetti. It was attended by Councillor Michele Zuin, the mayor’s cabinet secretary Morris Ceron, the councillor for security Giorgio D’Este, the commander of the local Venice police, Marco Agostini, the deputy mayor, Luciana Colle and the chairman of the City Council Ermelinda Damiano. The Associazione Piazza San Marco was represented by its chairman Claudio Vernier. The Council Administration wanted to confirm its commitment to returning decency to the city and St Mark’s Square. Councillor Zuin thus presented the first 29 seasonal local police who will immediately come on duty in the city centre to combat all forms of decline and ensure the council regulations and ordinances are respected. This new conscription will be joined by a further 70 fixed term local police officers to provide even more effective service. The Council Administration, recognising the commitment of the Associazione Piazza San Marco to protect the Square, has also decided to finance the ‘San Marco Guardians’, so from 15 August until 31 October they will also be in action in the St Mark’s area and its surrounds, also extending their range of activity to Santa Maria del Giglo and the Mercerie-San Salvador. Claudio Vernier, speaking during the press conference, ‘thanked the Council Administration for the important efforts made to reach this objective of protecting the Square and the St Mark’s area, recognising the role of the Association in the safeguarding and appreciation of this World Heritage’. Additionally, the chairman of the Association emphasised ‘the constant commitment on the part of the Association and all its members, often a “goad” to successive council administrations, to try to resolve the many problems that have for some time plagued the Square, positively and never vociferously’. Thanks to this important synergy and cooperation between the Association and the Venice City Council, which translates into greater control and protection of the entire St Mark’s area, ‘St Mark’s Square may return to being valued and appreciated, becoming the genuine heart and symbol of the “metropolitan city”’, according to Venier.