I visited Rome, not Venice.
However, as I noted, 2,000 years ago, Christ noted that building on sand was exceedingly unwise.
Seems to me, ignoring such common sense, is willful ignorance.
The Moses project sounds like it has been rife with greed, corruption, delays, and maybe even poor design. At least they took many such politicos & officials to court. I don’t know how much of that might be willful ignorance but it doesn’t sound the least bit exemplary.
A lot of art around the world & particularly in Italy seems to be very associated with elitism, egotistical narcissism, etc. I don’t know how much all that helps the peasants—except for something somewhat beautiful to look at.
I’m just of the opinion that sufficient money must have been findable in the years since the hazards were more fully realized. Yet an emphatically effective solution doesn’t even appear on the horizon—particularly if the Moses project design is as flawed as some assert.
Reportedly the sewer laden canals have been somewhat cleaned up? I hope so.
I’m curious. Would 15% of the tourist money over 50 years have been sufficient for a comprehensive & emphatically effective solution? I’d hope so.
I’m not impressed by the idea that devastating flooding only lasts however many hours or days. Have you had to clean up after a flood? No fun.
This is 2019. These problems did not just suddenly appear. And a successful solution still seems out of reach. I’m just not impressed.
Maybe they could have swallowed some pride and hired Holland to fix their problem.
If all that art and beautiful historic buildings are THAT wonderful & priceless—why subject them so relentlessly for so many decades & centuries to such hazard & increasingly sinking destruction.
We live in an era when incredible construction strategies & technologies can do almost miraculous things. Doesn’t sound like Venice has any clue of such options.
I think the criticism of the Moses project gates is reasonable. Seems very logical to me that in almost any up position—during a vigorous storm, the gates would likely be mostly useless to very breakable. How did such a design get passed? Willful ignorance?
Not my city. Not my country. Not my expertise. I’m just routinely disgusted with ignorance & malpractice in political leadership positions regardless of where it occurs.
Industry Tap
"Saving Venice: The MOSE Project"
2 JAN 2013
I appreciate all your thoughts. 1st of all we don’t have peasants anymore. 2nd of all visit Venice. It isn’t going anywhere.The flooding is part of its history and unique location in the world.Nor is its art work in particular danger of having anything happen to it. The last supper in Milan Has been practically destroyed including by Napoleon’s men taking target practice at it. Every art work in Italy and everywhere else has a history of being painted over, attacked with hammers, out right plundered and destroyed. This has happened in landlocked cities more than in Venice. The history of Venice was taking art from other places especially the now Muslim Constantinople and preserving it in the West for Christianity. In short, Venice is great. Did they bungle a flood control program? OK