Venice and its lagoon environment avoided being placed on Unesco’s list of world heritage sites in danger on Thursday following Italy’s ban on massive cruise ships traveling through the city’s historic centre. Preservation groups immediately criticised the decision by Unesco’s World Heritage Committee. This month the Italian government moved to avoid the danger designation, pledging to reroute massive cruise ships starting August 1 from the historic centre to an industrial port still within the Venice lagoon. Unesco’s World Heritage Centre recommended last month adding Venice to the endangered list as a way to alert the international community to the urgency of the city’s situation. Still, such a designation is widely viewed as a rebuke of the local management of World Heritage sites, places which Unesco recognises for their outstanding universal value to humanity.

Source: Irish Independent July 22, 2021 15:45 UTC