VENICE: THE ‘GUARDIANS’ RETURN TO ST MARK’S SQUARE

Guardians who patrol the St Mark’s area in synergy and collaboration with the local police. This new venture was greeted with great satisfaction by the president of the Associazione Piazza San Marco, Alberto Nardi, who is well aware of the difficulties that have been encountered this year in launching the service but equally sure of the need for the important presence of the San Marco Guardians, who will try to give information to tourists on the regulations in force in the St Mark’s area to prevent, for example, the Square being turned into a picnic area or, worse, a campsite. From 31 July until the end of October fifteen people will alternate over the course of the day, from 10 am to 7 pm, in teams of two to give information to the millions of visitors in different languages (including Russian and Chinese) and ensure the essential rules are respected, but also to offer first aid and assistance in case of illness or disorientation. ‘In the difficult context in which Venice finds itself this summer’, points out Alberto Nardi, ‘I think that the San Marco Guardians project takes on a positive value and absolute importance even more than in other years. It involves the solid presence of fifteen people with the stated aim of offering assistance to the many visitors, but also with the will to ensure the unfortunately often disregarded regulations to safeguard St Mark’s Square are respected. It is in this context that the San Marco Guardians become an indispensable presence in a highly congested area, where respect for the most basic rules of behaviour also becomes respect for an architectural heritage that is one of the most important in the world. Going beyond this consideration I think that in future this project should be institutionalised and become a model of synergy between public and private able to safeguard the symbolic places of our city from what is now a disorganised and dangerous “tourist invasion”. My sincere thanks to Costa Crociere, who once again this year, in a difficult local and international context, has wished to renew its sponsorship agreement with the Associazione Piazza San Marco, demonstrating its links with the city of Venice.’

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