THE SECOND YEAR OF THE ‘SAN MARCO GUARDIANS’ PROJECT BEGINS

In a press conference at Ca’ Farsetti today the Comune di Venezia, the Associazione Piazza San Marco and Costa Crociere presented the project that will see the ‘San Marco Guardians’ involved in St Mark’s Square. These are people dedicated to providing information to tourists and residents, from 10am to 5pm from 21 May to 6 October. A team of at least eight hostesses and stewards will work from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm to raise awareness of respect for the St Mark’s area and the correct use of the public and private services, providing information on the city council laws in force. Their tasks will include that of informing the municipal police of violations of council laws observed during their service. The ‘San Marco Guardians’, easily distinguished by their orange shirts, are multilingual in order to be able to interact with guests of all nationalities. This project was a great success last year; indeed, the situation in the Square last summer was noticeably improved thanks to the synergy between the local police and the ‘San Marco Guardians’. Thanks to the presence of the latter, the local police were able to devote more time to other aspects and problems not directly linked to appreciation of the area or tourist information. The Square was improved in terms of order, cleanliness and security, and the number of illegal hawkers, also of corn, was also considerably reduced. The tourists themselves also expressed positive opinions on this several times. Alberto Nardi, president of the Associazione Piazza San Marco, said that ‘This project, strongly encouraged by our association, is also very important because it has shown all its worth in preventing those actions that are little in keeping with the Square and its thousand year history. Furthermore, it has shown all its worth in providing a quality information and cultural service to the numerous tourists who daily crowd into and want to “experience” the most beautiful Square in the world.’ Gianni Onorato, director general of Costa Crociera, said that ‘We are very pleased to be able to once again take part in this project with the authority and local institutions. Venice is one of the cities of which we are most fond, and one of the favourite destinations of our passengers. This is why we are always willing to offer our support to initiatives that help safeguard the city and its lagoon.’