Welcome to Poveglia: Venice’s locals-only island
Some cities suffering the consequences of mass tourism have begun concealing and cordoning off small, tucked-away pockets for locals to enjoy without tourists. Amsterdam has its hidden swimming spots shared only via word-of-mouth, and much of Dubai’s coastline is fenced off for private beaches. Historically, affluent Londoners have picnicked in private squares and residents around New York’s Gramercy Park have flaunted their keyholder privileges. These spaces offer locals a chance to reconnect and foster tighter-knit communities away from the madding crowds.
This is a privilege that the citizens of Venice, that most tourism-impacted of cities, have been unable to experience, until now. In August, the city’s narrow calli heave with a volume of visitors that causes the majority of Venetians to escape for a faraway beach chair. But a slice of the city has been taken back by locals. Poveglia, a small, overgrown island just off the far end of the Lido that once housed a hospital has been turned into a Venetian-only green oasis.
The “Poveglia Per Tutti” (Poveglia for Everyone) campaign began nine years ago, when the island, which had been abandoned since the 1960s, was put up for auction with a starting bid of €0. A group of citizens determined that another piece of the lagoon need not become another luxury hotel. They started a crowdfunding campaign to purchase Poveglia for themselves. Contributions poured in from 4,600 people – almost one-tenth of the population of Venice’s islands – who quickly raised more than €460,000 to secure a six-year lease, outbidding the mayor of Venice. After a lengthy bureaucratic process, a long-term lease was granted this month. The activists plan to build a small boat dock and create paths, communal areas and a vegetable garden, while caring for the island’s small ecosystem, including its population of rabbits.
When arguments about overtourism arise, Venice is invariably Exhibit A. But the city has long been defined by its visitors, a steady stream of merchants and later tourists have propped up its economy. At the same time, the number of permanent residents continues to dwindle – with the population now well below 50,000. Losing locals is the real threat: who will want to visit a place with no discernable population? Residents have spearheaded grassroots campaigns to resist tourist numbers (see, most recently, the protest actions skewering the celeb-packed Bezos wedding in June) that often cause a stir but rarely change their lived reality. Following persistent activism, the municipality has banned the docking of cruise ships, and last year it introduced a €5 entry charge for all daytime visitors. Still, these initiatives haven’t stemmed the flow of sightseers that descends on Venice year-round. The idea behind Poveglia per Tutti – that parts of the lagoon should be run exclusively by and for locals – is really an attempt to stem the flight of Venetians from their own city.
It might seem like a resignation: shouldn’t people be working to make their city liveable instead of retreating into secluded corners? Venice certainly needs investment if it is to remain afloat – and tourists can still be a lifeline. But ask any gondolier: balance is key. Until a more equitable solution is made, Venetians deserve a little exclusivity. There are simply too many people in the world with the desire and means to see the city built on water. It no longer merits its old nickname of La Serenissima (the most serene). The locals that decide to stay, weaving their daily lives between gawking crowds and souvenir shops, deserve to have a calming, communal refuge.
Admittedly, during the opening week of the art and architecture biennales, I join these hordes who catch their breath when the train crosses the lagoon and pulls into Venezia Santa Lucia. Next year, I would be curious to check out the progress on Poveglia, where Venetians will no doubt be installing park benches and planting peach trees. Then again, perhaps this is one project that deserves to be left in peace.
Stella Roos is Monocle’s design correspondent. For more design insight and analysis, subscribe to Monocle today.
Read next: Summer in Dubai isn’t for everyone, but that’s the beauty of it
