San Pietro di Castello, Venice. Giorgio Paolo Gatto (69) is posing for a portrait in his house, at the “Ex Caserma Sanguineti”. Gatto moved here when he got married in 1981, as his wife and his family were already living in the Ex Caserma. They renovated the space where they live at their own expenses but now fear they might be evicted.
“Venice is not a museum” (2022)
Text by Giacomo Zandonini
One of the most touristic cities globally, with more than 20 million visitors registered in 2019, Venice is losing its inhabitants with each passing day.
Hundreds of residents are forced to quit the historical center, entirely built on a reticular network of islands, every year, because of unsustainable house rental prices and the lack of basic services. The symbolical threshold of 50,000 inhabitants has been crossed, in negative, in July this year.
For many residents, a poorly governed tourism monoculture is part of the problem. While institutions partially recognised the problem and are discussing over controversial proposals (including an entry ticket that should be enforced in 2023), groups of citizens decided to fight back.
San Pietro di Castello, Venice. The Basilica di San Pietro di Castello, the first cathedral in Venice, as seen from above. Next to it “Ex Caserma Sanguineti”, formerly a monastery and then a barrack.
San Pietro di Castello, Venice. Roberto De Pellegrini (67) during the lunch break at the shipyard. He inherited the activity from his father, and has run the ship repairments here since 1975. He has been paying a concession to the Agenzia del Demanio since 1986, but now fears being kicked out.
San Pietro di Castello, Venice. The Cloister of the Ex Caserma Sanguineti. The eight families who are still living in the Ex Caserma, and who have a concession and pay a rent to the Demanio now fear to be evicted as the Ex Caserma might be turned into a guest house for tourists.
San Pietro di Castello, Venice. Giorgio "Paolo" Gatto (69), a resident at the Ex Caserma and his neighbours are sharing information about the latest news from the Demanio who is unilaterally renovating the concession, in a move that they fear is aimed at pushing them out.
Isola di San Pietro di Castello, Venice. An old sailor’s hat at Roberto De Pellegrini’s shipyard. For generations, says Pellegrini, his life was always connected to ships and to the sea.
Giudecca Island, Venice. Pasquale Ambrogio (36) looking at the canal next to his apartment. Ambrogio, who is originally from Sicily and moved to Venice as a student, is an activist with the “ASC - Assemblea sociale per la casa” (or Social assembly for housing). In 2013, he squatted in an apartment owned by the agency for public housing.
Giudecca island, Venice. Toys and books in an apartment in the complex known as “Case Minime” that was formerly renovated and squatted by a family of four. The family was finally given an apartment and moved out.
Arsenale, Venice. In the historical city center, a flag reading “Salviamo San Piero e Sant’Anna” is displayed in support of the residents of the Ex Caserma, and as a symbol of the expulsion of historical Venetian residents from the city center.