Renovation at what price?
Today's Venice is a desperate attempt to save it - punto et basta. It feels like a treasure that once was and that is now on the verge of total implosion. At least this is how it feels based on both what I have recently read and what I experienced this past weekend.
You now pay for absolutely everything and anything. Toilets are, of course, all accessible for a fee. Churches, not all but many, are charging a fee to go in. The boat busses have gone up in price; incredibly so to EUR 6,50 for a one way ride from the train station to San Marco. But wait, the worst is yet to come.
Here I am walking past the Doge's palace, family in tow. I proudly announce that the next canal is the Bridge of Sighs canal. It's a macho thing to tell your family that you know a city so well that you know what sits around the next corner. But something is wrong. As we approach, there seems to be a giant scaffolding. I assume this means renovations. But wait, there is an advertisement on it, for Geox shoes. Okay, okay, calm down, I say to myself. There was one in St. Mark's square as well. And wait, now that I think about it, I've seen a couple in the past hour or so. But this is Italy and I've now become accustomed to the giant ads taken out on building-covering scaffolding during renovations. In fact, I think I even thought it was a great idea the first time I had seen it. Why not use the space constructively? But now we've gone too far...
As I near the canal, my mind begins to decipher danger. I see that the Geox advertisement is wrapping its way around the corner and behold, as we get to the canal, I look left in complete horror, disbelief, rage, disappointment… Indeed, the entire canal is covered left, right and center. This is the single largest advertising display I have ever seen, bigger than any on Times Square in New York. It's huge. It's gaudy. It's a travesty.
Now wait, my eye catches a phrase, a small phrase, that says that Geox, the shoe company, is funding (partly I take it, not entirely) the restoration of the Duccal palace. So, if I get this right, the trade off is: we need your money, you want eyeballs on your brand, we let you deface a UNESCO heritage monument while we renovate!
Sorry, I understand the paradigm, but I just can't digest it. It might be argued that if this is the price to pay to save a monument, so be it. But in my mind, philanthropy should still have a place in our corporate hearts. I understand that Geox, or any other company, needs a quid pro quo, but this one is really over the top. I've attached a photo and will let you be the judge. But for those of you who have known the bridge of sighs, for those of you who have seen historical monuments since you were toddlers, for those of you who put culture above commerce, I think you may feel the same dilemma as I face.
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