Government officials in Italy have once again moved to ban large cruise ships from sailing near the city center of Venice, citing the need to "protect the artistic, cultural and environmental heritage" of the ancient city. On Wednesday, the Italian Council of Ministers approved a decree that would relocate docking sites for large vessels away from Venice’s Grand Canal and the Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square). Until those sites are built, vessels over 40,000 tons will be required to berth at Porto Marghera, across the Venetian Lagoon, Reuters reports. "This is why yesterday's decision by the Council of Ministers to plan and build the final landing of ships outside the Lagoon is very important, as Unesco has long asked Italy." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERMotions to divert cruise ships away from Venice’s city center have been attempted several times over the last decade, most notably after the Costa Concordia disaster in 2012, when 33 people died after the liner ran aground in shallow waters outside Tuscany.

Source: Fox News April 01, 2021 13:41 UTC