The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, issued a decree introducing special measures aimed at preserving peace and public order during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
According to the decision of the city administration, on Christmas Eve after 10 p.m., musical events, serving drinks on the terraces, as well as street sales of food and drinks will be prohibited. Also, the use of pyrotechnics during that period will not be allowed.
The ban applies to areas within a radius of 500 meters around churches and other religious buildings, and also includes parts of the district of Mestre, which is located on the mainland of the city, next to the Venetian lagoon. The decision was published on the official website of the municipality, reports the German news agency dpa.
Grocery stores will have to close their doors no later than 10pm on Christmas Eve and remain closed until at least 6am the following day.
According to the municipality, the aim of the measures is to prevent incidents and disruption of public order, such as were recorded in previous years, mainly during mass gatherings. At the same time, the authorities want to respect citizens’ requests for a calmer atmosphere during the Christmas holidays, reports the Austrian agency APA.
Similar rules will apply to New Year’s Eve. In the period from 7 p.m. on December 31 to 6 a.m. on January 1, the sale of drinks in glass and plastic bottles, as well as in cans, will be prohibited, while consumption of drinks on the street from glasses or bottles will not be allowed.
The city authorities warn that a large number of visitors are expected on New Year’s Eve, which is why additional measures related to the restriction of pedestrian movement are possible.
Venice has been trying to control the excessive influx of tourists for a long time. In this context, the city introduced a fee for one-day visitors on certain days, and from 2026 this fee will amount to ten euros.
(Vijesti.ba)
