EXCLUSIVE REVEALED: The luxury Italian venue Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have booked for their wedding celebrations
The historical Italian venue billionaire Jeff Bezos, 61, has booked as part of his wedding celebrations to Lauren Sanchez, 55, later this month can be revealed by the MailOnline.
The Amazon boss has booked the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, one of the largest and grandest buildings in the historical centre of Venice, as part of the weekend-long extravaganza of celebrations.
When built in 1310 it represented the 'Seven Scuole Grandi' whose members were high society dignitaries in Venice, who reached a level of such wealth and influence they were given leading roles in the state. Its walls are decorated by the city's greatest Renaissance artists.
The Lonely Planet travel guides says of the large venue: 'One of Venice's seven grand confraternities, the Misericordia was the seat of the wealthy silk weavers guild that commissioned this enormous classical hall.'
'In 1532 Jacopo Sansovino was brought on board, brainstorming the idea of a Roman basilica within a traditional Venetian frame. No expense was spared on the interiors either, which were frescoed by Veronese, Zanchi, Pellegrini and Tintoretto. In 1914 it was taken over by the Reyer Sports Club, providing a beautiful backdrop to their basketball competitions.'
The couple's highly-anticipated nuptials are set to take place the weekend of June 24 in the Floating City, much to the frustration of Venetians who have accused the billionaire of turning their home into a 'playground' for the ultra-wealthy - and are now planning protests to push back.
A-list celebrities, politicians, and business leaders are expected to attend, which will mean beefed-up security, closed streets and airspace, and a strong police presence, just as Venice's peak tourist season gets underway.
With an eye-popping price tag of $10million and a star-studded guest list that includes the Kardashians, actress Eva Longoria, and pop star Katy Perry - who all attended Sanchez's bachelorette party in Paris earlier this month - the wedding promises to opulence on overdrive.
While President Donald Trump isn't expected to make an appearance, his children Ivanka and Don Jr are set to attend with their respective partners, husband Jared Kushner and new girlfriend Bettina Anderson.
Guests are likely to land at nearby airports in gas-guzzling private planes - Bezos owns four Gulfstream jets - although the 61-year-old can't dock his $500million superyacht Koru as it's too big to anchor anywhere close to Venice.
The massive carbon footprint of Bezos and his loaded guests will irk locals further, as Venice is blighted with polluted canals and mass tourism is destroying the fragile lagoon the city sits in.
The Laboratorio Occupato Morion - a self-described 'anti-fascist, anti-capitalist, anti-racist and trans-feminist political space' - is already planning on hosting a protest event in the city on Friday at its social center, a short walk from the historic St. Mark's Square.
The group has already begun advertising the protest online - sharing a flyer with an image of Bezos' head atop a rocket alongside the slogan: 'No space for Bezos, No space for oligarchs!'
'Jeff Bezos thinks he can buy the entire city - let's throw him a party!', the flyer reads, alongside details of Friday's demonstration.
A lengthy adjoining caption reads : 'Venice is transformed into yet another playground for billionaires, while those who live it every day are left with discomfort, exclusion and precariousness.'
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'I think it's good that he came here. He's so rich, he could have chosen anywhere in the world. He could have gone to New York or St Tropez or Fiji. But he chose Venice. That says something about what a special place it is.' As wedding guests, including Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom and Oprah Winfrey, headed to the Venetian Arsenal, amid unconfirmed rumours that they would be serenaded by Sir Elton John and Lady Gaga, it remained a mystery as to who would actually provide the evening's entertainment. The menu was to consist of specialities from the Veneto region, including baccalà, or salt cod, and tiramisù. Paparazzi faced a stiff challenge in trying to access the venue – the Venetian Arsenal is surrounded by high crenellated walls and there are just a few entrances, all of them by boat. It evolved over the centuries as a place to construct merchant vessels and warships, built to fend off pirates, commercial rivals and marauding Turkish fleets. 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He rejected criticism that the soul of Venice was being eroded by mass tourism, the proliferation of Airbnb properties and population decline, saying: 'The problem is that around 300 to 400 Venetians die each year and not enough babies are being born. This is affecting the whole of Italy, not just Venice.'
