The historic center of Venice was devastatingly hit first by theNovember high tide and then by this tragic epidemic crisis. The first produced, in addition to the material damage for which public contributions are only now beginning to be distributed, a dangerous one loss of image in the world entire with many cancellations of Italian and foreign tourists. The epidemic crisis, still in full development and with not comforting prospects, I would say alarming, has now also caused the blocking of economic activities. To combat the virus with isolation, a deadly blow has been dealt to the entire production system of the city; from bars to restaurants and hotels, from shops to craft businesses. Let's not talk about tourist guides, gondoliers, taxi drivers, theatres, museums, as well as the invisible who live from that world of tourism.
The consequences of containment to defend against Covid 19 are serious both for businesses and economic and cultural activities and for the many people who have lost their jobs. The disappearance of receipts or turnover undermines the balance of accounts with possible effect default for the most fragile realities. The government intervened by granting loans to businesses, burdening them with the "repayment at maturity", while it would have been more appropriate to grant a grantcourageously overcoming the constraints of state finances. The necessary aid to the numerous cultural institutions, La Fenice Theater, Venetian Museums, Foundations, etc. is still uncovered. Fortunately, employees can enjoy layoffs, even by way of derogation, while a monthly bonus has been paid to VAT numbers and the self-employed.
Meanwhile, there is no shortage in the press references to the rediscovered beauty of the city. Calli and fondamente empty, deserted, deafening silence. For the Venetians, certain segments of melancholy. Some fish are starting to show. The lack of waves is impressive in the basin and in the Giudecca canal: the water is calm as it has rarely been seen! Why not re-propose, as someone claims, the underwater metro which would allow for a flat calm lagoon but also wild hordes of commuting tourists. It would be the exaggerated repetition of today's model, a tourist monoculture that destroys everything.
But then let us ask ourselves what will happen when containment ceases. We will have a further indebted production system, some will not even open, however, the start of consumption and tourism is expected to be slow and gradual. The State and Europe will become even more important to financially support the huge expenses for the recovery.
A recovery, after the urgent interventions, which has the objective of creating a new paradigm for the historic center of Venice, starting, as the Patriarch claims, from a special statute which recognizes, internationally, the specificity of Venice and which offers the city its relative autonomy with the involvement of international institutions. Tourism will have to scale down pursuing an upgrading of quality, rediscovering the way of life that has remained in the city for centuries, as an attraction. The ideas for discourage hit and run tourism there are many, from limiting flows to landing taxes, but above all a residency policy will also be needed with two clear objectives to pursue.
Through an imaginative policy of incentives and an effective set of international relations, it is necessary to attract economic activities to the city: cultural institutes, cultural foundations, research centers of large groups, training centres, companies in the field of fashion and design, and start-ups. Furthermore, the second objective will be to allocate offices and homes so that those involved in these activities can reside in the historic center offering all the services necessary for habitability such as parking spaces, schools and kindergartens. These are ideas that need, to be realized, the will of men, a ruling class that knows how to coordinate vision, imagination and concreteness.
Two notes, "the way of life that has remained in the city for centuries, as an attraction" very little remains of the way of life as there are now very few Venetians. As for the "new residents", these are categories and groups that are perhaps too elitist and snobbish