Part of Venice has been declared a restricted access zone due to the wedding of American billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Boat traffic on the canals around the Madonna dell'Orto monastery church, where the first festive ceremony will take place on Thursday evening, is already prohibited. This is reported by UNN with reference to DPA.
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From the afternoon, pedestrian traffic in this area will also be restricted. Security personnel will also block access to other areas of the city, including the island of San Giorgio opposite St. Mark's Square, where the main wedding ceremony will take place on Friday, as well as the Arsenal, a historic shipyard.
The founder of online retailer Amazon, 61-year-old Jeff Bezos, and his fiancée, 55-year-old Lauren Sanchez, are staying at one of the most expensive hotels in Venice - Aman on the Grand Canal. Upon arrival, they greeted a crowd of paparazzi and curious passers-by.
Due to the threat of terrorist attacks against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, as well as announced protests, unprecedented security measures have been taken in the city. In Venice, which is visited by more than 100,000 tourists every day, there is currently a noticeable increase in the presence of police and military personnel. According to some reports, snipers are stationed on the roofs.
Meanwhile, it became known that Bezos, one of the richest people in the world with an estimated fortune of 220 billion US dollars, will donate another 2 million euros (2.3 million dollars) to support various institutions in Venice. He had previously announced a donation of $1 million. In addition, wedding guests were asked to refrain from gifts and instead donate to the restoration of Venice.
Despite the fact that tourism brings huge profits to the city, the massive influx of tourists creates serious problems for Venice. Some activist groups have announced their intention to hold protests against the wedding under the slogan "No space for Bezos". Posters criticizing him have appeared on the walls of buildings in the city. The mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, is accused of "selling the city to the rich".
Star guests
Numerous celebrities have already arrived in Venice to celebrate the pompous wedding, including Ivanka, the daughter of former US President Donald Trump.
According to the newspaper La Repubblica, on Wednesday evening Bezos and Sanchez attended a gala dinner organized by designer Diane von Fürstenberg in a luxury restaurant. They were joined by about 50 other guests.
The dinner featured a stew of rare squid caught in the Venetian lagoon. The cost of this delicacy is approximately 260 euros per kilogram.
Private planes land at Marco Polo Airport almost every hour - more than 100 special flights are expected by Friday. Several yachts worth millions of euros have already moored off the coast of Venice.
According to media reports, the guest list includes Barbra Streisand, Oprah Winfrey, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio and Orlando Bloom. Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Eric Schmidt (Google) are expected from the business community. There are also rumors about the possible presence of Lady Gaga, Elton John and Mick Jagger.