Latest news with #StMarksSquare
Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The insider secrets to avoiding Venice's summer crowds
There are days when visitors to this exquisite jewel box of a city outnumber locals two-to-one, and when getting from the station to St Mark's Square is a battle. But despite this, Venice never loses its capacity to enchant: stepping out of the station to be greeted by a glittering canal with the dome of San Simeon Piccolo beyond remains heart-stopping, whether you're doing it for the first time or the 100th. Even at peak visitor periods, the worst excesses can be avoided and you're never more than a bridge away from secluded Venice with its quiet campi (squares), churches concealing luminous Madonnas, handsome Gothic palazzi – and bustling neighbourhood hangouts. Because there's more to Venice than peerless artistic riches from centuries past: it's also a hive of contemporary activity (not to mention its recent role playing host to the wedding of the century). Beyond the alternating Art and Architecture Biennale shows, which showcase all that's cutting edge internationally, the city's dwindling population works hard to keep contemporary Venice creative, productive and very vibrant. For further inspiration, explore our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, attractions and free things to do. What's new in Venice this summer See: Photography exhibition Le Stanze della Fotografia, on the island of San Giorgio, is hosting the striking, provocative and occasionally shocking works of American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. This major exhibition examines the sensuality of the human body, the beauty of flowers and the dialogue between photography and classical sculpture, and is running from April 10 to November 23. Relax: Greenery at the Redentore church Venice's tantalising gardens are mostly behind high walls, in private hands. The Hortus Redemptoris – a glorious hectare of vegetable and herb beds behind Palladio's superb Redentore church on Venice's Giudecca island – has been restored and opened to the public last autumn. It's open from Thursdays to Saturdays, between 10am and 5.30pm. Discover: Intelligence at the architecture exhibition Intelligence in various forms – natural, artificial and collective – is the theme of this year's international architecture exhibition, running from May 10 to November 25, from the Biennale organisation. Architects and designers from 66 countries push the bounds of conceptual research in exhibits inside Venice's Arsenale and in the charming national pavilions dotted around the Giardini della Biennale. How to spend your weekend Day one: morning Start the day in Da Bonifacio, a tiny café with a lovely crazy-paving mosaic floor, hidden away behind the Doge's Palace. The coffee's good – ask for the very Venetian macchiatone if you like the idea of a cappuccino with less milk – and it's difficult to resist cakes like the pasta con le mandorle (almond slice). The wondrous, mosaic-studded interior of Venice's mother church, St Mark's Basilica doesn't open to visitors until 9.30am (2.30pm on Sunday), but anyone is welcome to attend morning mass. Take your pick between the 8am and 10am slots. On Sundays and feast days, the 10am event is a sung mass in the central nave, and there's nothing like plainsong to bring out the magic of St Mark's. Afterwards, visit the Museum of St Mark's, which affords spectacular views over the piazza; entry is €7.
Forbes
28-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Jeff Bezos And Lauren Sanchez Wedding: What We Know About Venice Extravaganza
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former journalist Lauren Sánchez Bezos stepped out on the town Saturday after the newlyweds exchanged vows on a small Venetian island Friday, the centerpiece of what has become a star-studded, and controversial, multi-day ceremony hosted in Venice, Italy. (Related: All the photos of the celebrity attendees.) Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos arrive at the Harry's Bar restaurant a ... More day after their wedding in Venice on June 28, 2025. Photo by Stefano Rellandini / AFP How long—and how much? The wedding began its 'multi-day celebration' Thursday and continued into Saturday, when the Bezoses visited Harry's Bar, an iconic Venetian landmark. Where: The Bezoses tied the knot on San Giorgio Island on Friday, multiple outlets reported, a small locale off the coast of Venice's St. Mark's Square which contains a centuries-old church known for its bell tower. Is it official? Though the couple held their wedding in Italy, city officials told CNN they have not received an official marriage request from the couple, indicating their celebrations are ceremonial and that they may already have married in the United States. Who is performing? Friday's wedding celebration featured a performance by Matteo Bocelli, the son of opera singer Andrea Bocelli, Reuters reported. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who has spoken out against protesters demonstrating against the wedding, told Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera the wedding 'will have economic repercussions worth millions of euros for our city.' Protests by locals, who are upset with overtourism and Bezos' links to President Donald Trump, threatened the festivities, and sources told Reuters the threat of protests prompted Bezos to move a wedding party from a central nightlife area to the more secluded Arsenale, which is surrounded by water and impossible to reach by land when bridges are raised. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts : We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . Who Is On The Guest List For The Bezos-Sanchez Wedding? Venice officials have said the guest list for Bezoses wedding is limited to 200 people. On Tuesday afternoon, Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner, who were rumored to attend, were photographed arriving in Venice. Other celebrities so far spotted in Venice for the festivities include Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brady, Gayle King, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher and Sydney Sweeney. Investor Michael Kives has also been seen in Venice in addition to Dolce & Gabbana founder and billionaire Domenico Dolce and Queen Rania of Jordan, wife of the country's King Abdullah II. Bezos invited President Donald Trump to the wedding, the Journal reported, though Trump did not make the trip due to scheduling conflicts. Festivities kicked off Thursday night, after many of the Bezoses' celebrity guests arrived, with a party at the Madonna dell'Orto, a 14th-century cathedral, CNN reported. Guests appear to be adhering to strict social media rules, CNN reported, as some of the most social media-savvy guests, like the Kardashians, have not posted any pictures from inside the venue. After Friday's wedding ceremony, celebrations are expected to conclude with a wedding reception Saturday at the Arsenale, a shipyard and armory that is now the site of an annual Venetian cultural festival. The Saturday reception was initially set to take place at the Scuola Grande Della Misericordia, a 14th-century building, but the event was moved because of concerns over protests, the Wall Street Journal reported, though protests are still planned for the new location. Reuters reported Lady Gaga and Elton John may perform at Saturday's party, though The Hollywood Reporter said this week Gaga was not asked to perform. The Bezoses first appeared in Venice on Wednesday, where they had dinner at the home of billionaire Barry Diller and his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, the New York Times reported. Who Is Protesting The Wedding And Why? Some locals in Venice, which has dealt with overtourism that has strained the city's infrastructure and services for years, have staged protests under the name 'No Space for Bezos' over concerns the wedding's scale will worsen some of the issues created by excessive tourist crowds, with more demonstrations planned to disrupt this week's festivities. Protesters are planning a march on Saturday, according to posts by the 'No Space for Bezos' group on Instagram, which will start at the Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia train station, located roughly 1.5 miles away from the Arsenale venue. The group has already held multiple demonstrations. On Monday, the Greenpeace environmental activist organization joined 'No Space for Bezos' in Venice's St. Mark's Square, unveiling a banner with Bezos' face that read: 'IF YOU CAN RENT VENICE FOR YOUR WEDDING YOU CAN PAY MORE TAX.' Police quickly took the banner away, the Associated Press reported. They previously hoisted a banner that says 'Bezos' with an 'X' through it on the San Giorgio Maggiore church's bell tower. Federica Toninelli, a Venetian activist with 'No Space for Bezos,' told Reuters the wedding is also a 'symbol of the exploitation of the city by outsiders.' Protesters have threatened to block access to canals and city streets in an effort to block wedding attendees from reaching party venues in the city, according to Variety. Oliviero Cassarà, a lead organizer and activist, said in a statement 'No Space for Bezos' has zero issue with Americans or people getting married in Venice, instead criticizing Bezos for his links to Trump and blasting the president's controversial trade policies. 'Bezos supported Trump economically and politically and is consequently co-responsible for this drift against us Italian and European citizens,' Cassarà said. Brugnaro has spoken out against the protesters and tried to reassure them the city is capable of handling the event, citing its hosting of the Venice Film Festival and G7 Summit. Brugnaro said he was 'ashamed of those who behave like this,' Variety reported. How Much Will The Wedding Cost? Multiple reports have said the wedding will predictably cost millions of dollars. Reuters reported an estimated total cost of $46.5 million to $55.6 million. The Journal reported a luxury wedding with 200 guests such as Bezos' costs about $4 million, citing Jamie Simon, director of events at luxury planning firm Banana Split, which organized the multiday wedding between Sofia Richie Grainge and Atlantic Records CEO Elliot Grainge in 2023. Who Is Organizing The Bezos-Sánchez Wedding? The Journal reported Lanza & Baucina, a London-based group that planned George and Amal Clooney's 2014 wedding in Venice, was hired by the Bezoses. A representative for the group told the Journal its principles and the instructions of Bezos call for the 'minimizing of any disruption to the city, the respect for its residents and institutions and the overwhelming employment of locals in the crafting of the events.' The 2014 wedding had a generally positive perception, with locals lauding Clooney for his consideration and respect for Venice. Cassará even compared Bezos to Clooney in his statement, saying Bezos 'is not George Clooney with his romantic aura.' We estimate Bezos' net worth at $237 billion as of Friday, making him the fourth-wealthiest person in the world behind Mark Zuckerberg ($253.1 billion), Larry Ellison ($253.4 billion) and Elon Musk ($409.8 billion). Key Background The Bezoses met almost 10 years ago and began making public appearances together around 2019, when the two began dating. They became engaged in 2023 aboard the Koru superyacht, with Jeff offering Lauren a 30-carat cushion cut pink diamond set in platinum, according to Vanity Fair. Venice Residents Protest Entry Fee For Tourists Amid Concerns City Will Turn Into A 'Theme Park' (Forbes)
The Herald
27-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez exchanging wedding vows on island in Venice
'This magical place has gifted us unforgettable memories,' the bride and groom said on their wedding invitation, in which they asked for 'no gifts' and pledged charity donations for three Venetian institutions. Their donations are worth €3m. 'GIFT-WRAPPED' VENICE Businesses have welcomed the glitz and glamour but it is being resisted by a local protest movement whose members resent what they see as Venice being gift-wrapped for ultra-rich outsiders. Bezos is No 4 on Forbes' billionaires list. Giulia Cacopardo, a 28-year-old representative of the 'No Space for Bezos' movement, complained that the needs of ordinary people were being neglected in a city that is a tourist magnet and fast depopulating largely due to the soaring cost of living. Venice's city centre has less than 50,000 residents, compared to almost 100,000 in the late 1970s. 'When you empty a city of its inhabitants, you can turn it into a stage for big events,' Cacopardo told Reuters. "(But) the money that Bezos spends on this wedding does not end up in the pockets of Venetians. The owners of luxury hotels are not Venetians.' Cacopardo was one of 30-40 activists who staged a protest in St Mark's Square on Thursday, chanting 'We are the 99%' as a masked couple posed as bride and groom and one man climbed a pole to unfurl a banner reading 'The 1% ruins the world'. Police intervened, forcibly removing the protesters. The anti-Bezos front is planning a march on Saturday, and their activities have already led authorities to step up security and move the location of Saturday's party to a more secluded part of Venice, the Arsenale former shipyard. But politicians, hoteliers and other Venice residents are happy about the wedding, saying that such events do more to support the local economy than the multitudes of day-trippers who normally overrun the city. 'We are happy and honoured to welcome Jeff Bezos and his consort Lauren Sanchez,' said mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who sent white roses to the bride and a maxi-bottle of Amarone luxury red wine to the groom.
The Guardian
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Gondolas and guerillas: divisive Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez wedding in full swing
The Black Death. Byron on the prowl. Rising water levels. Cruise ships the size of city blocks. Venice may have endured many tumultuous events and sinister challenges over the centuries but rarely in its long history has it had to contend with an issue quite as odd and quite as divisive as the sort-of nuptials of the world's fourth-richest person. Friday found the lagoon city doing what it does best: looking gorgeous and slightly unreal as it played host to thousands of tourists who posed in silver-prowed gondolas, chugged mid-morning spritzes or simply wilted in the muggy heat. But across the water from St Mark's Square, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's big day was getting under way. The precise choreography of events may not be entirely clear, but things were definitely happening on the tiny island of San Giorgio Maggiore, where the couple are due to pledge eternal love and fidelity before a crowd of 200 mainly famous guests. A handful of camera crews mooched around the entrance to the Giorgio Cini foundation, where a pair of tight-lipped but polite individuals sat before monitors under a gazebo and politely fended off requests for information. And no, they really didn't know when the ceremony would begin. According to reports, the couple have already tied the knot in the US and Friday's event is merely symbolic. A hundred metres away, hosing down the deck of his boat in the island's harbour, one local man offered a laconic and not untypical take on what has become known, a little tediously, as 'the wedding of the century'. What did he make of all the fuss? 'I'm not thinking about it at all,' he said. 'I don't care.' The wedding celebrations – which began in earnest on Thursday night and are due to culminate in a reception held at the Arsenale historic shipyard complex on Saturday – have split the city into three groups. There are those, like the yachtsman, who simply don't care; there are those furious that Venice is prostrating itself before a man with an estimated net worth of , and there are those who, like the city's mayor, see the £40m extravaganza as a welcome money-spinner and a wonderful showcase for the area's attractions. Bezos and Sánchez's famous friends do not appear to have been put off by the controversy, which has seen imaginative protests over the past few days – including rumours of a reserve armada of canal-blocking inflatable crocodiles. Thursday night's welcome party in the cloisters of the Madonna dell'Orto, a 14th-century church in the Cannaregio area, was attended by celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady and Orlando Bloom. But it was followed by yet another resourceful display of disapproval. A little before 11pm, a green laser was used to spell out the slogan, 'No Kings, No Bezos', on the belltower in St Mark's Square. Similar guerrilla actions over recent days have included the unfurling of a banner reading: 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.' Those behind the protests – a coalition of groups angered by the selling-out of the city, housing activists and anti-cruise ship campaigners – say their punning 'No Space for Bezos' alliance has already paid off. They claim their sustained pressure, not least the threat to unleash the blow-up crocodile fleet, prompted the couple to switch the location of the reception from the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a majestic 16th-century building in the city centre, to the more private Arsenale. Others have a different take on the superyachts and the 90 private jets that have descended on Venice this week. The city's mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, has dismissed the protesters as 'shameful' and said the Bezos-Sánchez union will fill Venetian coffers. That view is shared by Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè. 'There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony,' she told the Associated Press. 'All of this translates into a massive free publicity campaign. In fact, because they will spend a lot of money, they will enrich Venice – our shopkeepers, artisans, restaurateurs, hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world.' One man, however, has his very own reasons for wishing the Amazon founder all the best. Cagdas Halicilar, a 47-year-old German who runs a delivery truck company, has a sideline as a pretty convincing Bezos lookalike. He had travelled to Venice to greet and confound the crowds and was also hoping for a quick encounter with Bezos so that he could give him the €3,000 (£2,600) bottle of whiskey he'd bought him as a wedding present. 'I realised the resemblance three years ago,' he said. 'My life has changed a lot since then. Wherever I go, people are like, 'Jeff! Jeff!'.' He had come tantalisingly close to his doppelgänger on Thursday night when a beautiful burgundy boat cruised past him. 'He saw me and I waved and he gave me a thumbs-up,' said Halicilar. 'I was so happy. I cried.' If the German delivery boss does finally get to meet Bezos, he has a simple message. 'I will just tell him that I'm proud to look like him. That's all. He's not arrogant and he has a big heart. He makes people smile and I'm a huge fan.' (He also hopes that if Bezos is reading this piece, his people can arrange a meeting to hand over the whiskey.) As the day wore on, the secret preparations continued and the vicious June sun beat down on tourists, guests and journalists, one visitor making her way around San Giorgio Maggiore shook her head. This was all proof, if further proof were needed, of the awesome power of the 21st-century super-rich. 'It's grotesque,' said the woman from northern Spain. 'Two hundred-and-fifty guests and a bill of €50m? This is why I don't buy anything on Amazon.'
The Guardian
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Guests including Ivanka Trump arrive in Venice for divisive Jeff Bezos wedding
Scores of celebrities and members of the world's super-rich are arriving in Venice aboard private jets and mega-yachts to celebrate the wedding of Jeff Bezos, the billionaire Amazon founder, and Lauren Sánchez, a former TV journalist. In a three-day jamboree dubbed the 'wedding of the century' and rumoured to include pyjama parties and elegant dinners, the divisive event is expected to see more than 90 private jets land in the Italian city before celebrations officially begin on Thursday. Among the first guests to arrive were Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, her husband, Jared Kushner, and their children. The family is staying at the St Regis, close to St Mark's Square, one of a host of five-star hotels completely booked out by the 200 or so wedding guests. According to reports in the local press, some of the more low-profile invitees arrived in the lagoon city even earlier. Arience, a 60-metre yacht belonging to the American fund manager and Amazon investor Bill Miller moored by St Mark's earlier this week. Kismet, a super-yacht owned by Shahid Khan, a Pakistani American billionaire and the owner of Fulham FC, is also moored in the city. Venice authorities are rolling out a huge security operation, including at Marco Polo airport, as concerns rise over geopolitical instability as well as threats by activists from the No Space for Bezos campaign group to clog the canals with inflatable crocodiles in order to block the guests from arriving. Other VIPs believed to be on the guest list include Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Eva Longoria and Orlando Bloom, and possibly Bill Gates, Mick Jagger and Elton John. If the sound of wheeled suitcases being dragged along Venice's narrow lanes are among the bugbears of the city's ever dwindling band of residents, local newspapers have warned them to be prepared for the stacks of luggage the Bezos's guests will need to contain the many outfits required for what they say will be 'a wedding in three acts'. The details of the celebrations are strictly under wraps, and all staff involved have been warned not to even mention the nuptials when speaking on the phone. It is believed the couple will exchange vows on Friday in San Giorgio Maggiore basilica on the Venetian island of the same name. The main wedding reception is expected to be held on Saturday in the Arsenale, a historic complex of shipyards surrounded by fortified walls. The big party was originally supposed to take place in a 16th-century in the centre of the city, but was switched due to the security concerns. The wedding, said cost €40-48m, is the most high-profile to take place in Venice since George and Amal Clooney were married in the city in 2014. But while the Clooneys were welcomed, the Bezos's nuptials have been far more contentious, with posters featuring Bezos's head on a rocket blasting into space – in reference to his Blue Origin space tourism venture – pasted on walls across the city. Protesters say the event risks turning the world heritage site, which has long suffered from the effects of excessive tourism, into a playground for the rich. Greenpeace Italia and the British activist group Everyone Hates Elon have also joined the protests, unfurling a huge banner in St Mark's Square on Monday with a picture of Bezos laughing and a sign reading: 'If you can rent Venice for your wedding you can pay more tax.' A similar banner was pinned to a huge crane in front of Hotel Danieli, where some of the guests are staying, on Tuesday night. Venice's millionaire mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, has blasted the protesters as 'shameful'. Bezos will make sizeable charity donations, including €1m towards a project that studies Venice's lagoon system, according to reports in the Corriere della Sera newspaper and the news agency Ansa.
