In Venice, citizens are taxed to rent a state island and turn it into a large park.

FOR SALE ON POVEGLIA ISLAND –

To save Venice, a shocking solution is not ruled out: introducing a limited number of visitors. This would prevent the devastation of a city invaded at all hours by hordes of tourists (who, however, bring in a lot of money) and increasingly abandoned by its inhabitants . The governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia, very popular in the area, does not rule out this extreme solution . But sometimes even in Venice, before absent or distracted administrators, citizens take action. And they help the city survive. Indeed, the latter have decided to react to the inertia of public administrations . So on the island of Poveglia, off Malamocco , the southern area near the Lido where people often go rowing or on Sunday family outings, they have rolled up their sleeves and created a model worth imitating.

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POVEGLIA COMMITTEE FOR ALL –

Poneglia is a jewel of culture and environmental treasures, with seven hectares of ancient history, once cultivated by Camaldolese monks, and featuring some fortifications and the remains of an old geriatric hospital closed way back in 1968. This magical place was abandoned for about half a century, apart from a €22 million expenditure to prevent erosion of the banks . Then came the Renzi government's decree, Valore Italia , which put some state-owned properties up for sale. And among these was the Venetian island. At that point, a group of citizens, concerned that the sale could open the door to yet another real estate speculation or the usual five-star resort, stepped forward, formed an association, and participated in the bidding to purchase the island.

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But the "Poveglia for All" association , where hundreds of Venetians tax themselves along with 600 foreigners who love Venice, failed to win the tender, and Poveglia remains state property . At this point, the association is proposing a concession of the island for only five years , to proceed, with its own funds, with the safety of the area, with its transformation into a park and public space returned to the Venetians, recovering the ancient urban gardens . The proposal holds up because in the meantime the association, through crowdfunding, has managed to raise a good 450 euros with over 5 subscriptions.

POVEGLIA ISLAND FOR RENT –

At this point, the ball is back in the court of the State Property Agency, which has been stalling for time before making a final decision . But why wait and not give space to the efforts of citizens who, with their own money, want to save a Venetian treasure? Perhaps there are other interests to defend?

( The cover image is taken from the Facebook page of the association “ Poveglia per tutti ” )

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