The coastline of the Adriatic Sea and beyond represents the crucial nodes of the vast network of Venetian trade and influence; the unparalleled maritime Empire which lasted nearly 1,000 years. I used watercolors to handpaint this map.
The Port of Piran preserves its Venetian Republic architecture. Piran was part of the ‘Venetian Adriatic’ for over 500 years, from 1283 to 1797. The Venetians fortified Piran, building defensive walls and towers to protect it from invaders. Everything about its layout, with its narrow streets and compact houses, is essential Venetian urban design.
The port butts up against Tartini Square in the background; the very center of this compact city. In the background on a hilltop is St. George’s Parish Church, whose bell tower is designed as a duplicate of St. Mark’s Campanile in Venice.
I originally sketched this with liner pens, and later added watercolor.
The Island of San Giorgio Maggiore is probably the most visible small lagoon island from Venice. Like other islands in the lagoon, it was inhabited early, but its prominence grew during the Middle Ages when a Benedictine monastery was established on its grounds around the 10th century.
That monastery shares the most striking features of the tiny island with the island's architectural centerpiece, the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, designed by the esteemed Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio in the 16th century.
Seeing this island was one of the first points that I started to realize that there was more to Venetian architecture than Venice itself.
A sketch of my dinner at Puntulina, a restaurant in Rovinj that hangs over the cliffs, looking out over the Rovinj islands. While this simple dish, which is basically fresh Adriatic prawns sourced locally from nearby waters, was my best while in Croatia, every meal in Istria was spectactular - and fresh. Why, now that we are back in Venice, is the difference so stark?
Throughout our stay in Venice, we have trouble finding good food. I can’t help but to think with each meal that we are being duped somehow. The gelato tastes like ice cream, the shellfish tastes like it was microwaved, and the pasta feels like it had just dethawed from a freezer bag. Bad food alone doesn't solely prove that there is something bad happening in a place, and it is true that Venice never had the same reputation for food that many other Italian regions are famous for, but, there is definitely something very off about the food here.
Later, a friend will explain, “During the pandemic, the little shops that were owned by Venetians were closed, and the government created incentives for people who were not Venetian to open up bigger mass market places, serving day-trippers who don’t know the difference. This basically killed off the local restaurant scene.”
The famous St. Mark’s Square now houses a huge stage and seating area, with electrical wires everywhere. The shops lining the square are almost all foreign brands, and restaurant chair sections extend out in almost every direction. I’m all for live outdoor music, but what use is St. Mark’s Square when St. Mark’s Basilica is literally blocked off by a massive stage? When you can’t even walk in the middle of the square?
As a child, I ran through this square, terrorizing thousands of pigeons, unimpeded. Historical paintings of the piazza show a similar scene: a walkable square with the world’s grandest architectural views.
Some in Venice believe the answer to overtourism is to separate the locals from the tourists; blocking off parts of the city and creating a system of segregation. What a fool’s errand!
Is it possible that the tourists aren’t ruining Venice? Venetians are treating their city as a cash grab, disrespecting the monumental legacy of its past for cheap bucks. They may be making a killing selling fake gelato and foreign purses, but at what cost?
Venetians would need to turn to their ancestors for inspiration, and make the choice that respects their city’s future. Start by banning cruise ships entirely - not just from the city, but from the entire lagoon. While cruise ship tourists represent only ten-percent of tourists in the lagoon, they create a pattern of daily throngs that spread out like ants. They come around noon, spend almost no money, and then leave by six PM. Unlike the visitors who saved for a trip to see a magical historic city, this is just another place for cruise-ship passengers to buy cardboard pizza. The cruise ship passengers, who eat breakfast at their Cruise ship buffet and will have their dinner at their cruise ship buffet, spend almost no money in the city; they add little but congestion, and they propel the restaurant culture in the worst direction.
While cruise ships are now barred from docking directly at the two-square mile Venice proper, they still enter the lagoon. There are significant environmental consequences to the lagoon itself from the entry of these oversized ships - which are eroding the already fragile canals and natural estuary zones. And while barring them directly from docking in the city seems like a step in the right direction, there is no actual intention to lower the total amount of cruise ship tourists in the city, just to find a new port.
Next, bar non-Venetian restaurants from the city entirely, and create a grading system, similar to Los Angeles’ health grades and Italy’s own DOP labels, that certify restaurants with fresh and regional food.
Lastly, create disincentives for day-time travelers in peak months by taxing them at entry, creating incentives for regional travelers to visit Venice in the quieter winter months. Here in the western United States, we’re able to successfully control the flow of hikers and backpackers into pristine environments through strict permitting efforts. These permits disperse the flow of travelers away from peak months.