Venice in turmoil over billionaire's wedding
Private jets crisscross the Venetian archipelago as superyachts glide silently across the lagoon. Caterers grill rich Venetian delicacies while protesters plot quietly. Bomb-sniffing dogs patrol the lush island of San Giorgio Maggiore, opposite the Doge’s Palace. Venice, a city built by merchants, is getting ready this week for the wedding of its digital “doge of commerce.”
Jeff Bezos, the e-commerce billionaire of Amazon, and now a familiar face in tabloids and Hollywood elite, is getting married to television anchor Lauren Sánchez in a city that was a model of glitz, luxury and ostentation hundreds of years ago.
From June 26, the frescoed old houses – once owned by the bankers and merchants who made Venice prosperous – now empty of residents and filled with fragrant orchids, are ready to be turned over to influencers, rappers, pop stars and even Ivanka Trump – all on the expected guest list.
The island of San Giorgio, once a place where emperors met popes, will now welcome the “boss” of Amazon.com.
City officials and business people were proud and delighted by the profits and fame the event brought, and they welcomed the wedding as an affirmation of Venice's status as a wonder of the world .
But for many residents who have chosen to continue living in a city that has become almost uninhabitable thanks to the era of cheap tourism , the event is the height of betrayal – an American-scale display of Venice’s internal contradictions. They see it as a complete surrender of Venice’s identity, as the city is turned into a glittering backdrop for photos of the new global plutocracy.
Grassroots left-wing activist groups in Venice – small but with a lot of support from the few remaining residents who remain determined to stay – have threatened to disrupt the wedding.
The protesters, who chanted “No place for Bezos,” appear to have achieved some of their goals. The party they had planned to hold at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia – the place they had planned to block – has been moved to another location. A booking for Bezos’s superyacht to dock in Venice has also been canceled.
On June 23, the British anti-billionaire group “Everyone Hates Elon,” in collaboration with Greenpeace Italy, unfurled a giant banner on the cobblestones of St. Mark’s Square. The banner read: “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more taxes,” along with a picture of the billionaire laughing loudly.
Meanwhile, the Venetian government was extremely angry at the protests, calling them "damaging to the reputation" of the city.
Bezos's understandable choice
In many ways, Venice was the obvious wedding choice for the Bezos-Sánchez couple, who have been constantly on display in public displays of love and lavish lifestyles since going public with their relationship six years ago.
The engagement was a lavish affair, with a giant diamond ring, a private space trip for Ms. Sánchez, a star-studded engagement party, and most recently, a “foam party” on Mr. Bezos’s $500 million yacht.
Venice – a city built as an unabashed statement of wealth and power, with its gilded palaces, multicolored marble, frescoes and paintings by Renaissance masters – was clearly a perfect choice for Bezos–Sánchez.
The couple have been spotted more often with Hollywood friends than Silicon Valley techies lately, so it’s no surprise that they opted for Venice instead of the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, or a ski lodge in Utah.
The preparations for Mr Bezos’s wedding have been shrouded in secrecy, more so than some US war plans. Caterers and others involved say they were required to sign non-disclosure agreements. But some insiders, speaking on the condition of anonymity, have revealed a few details.
One person said about 30 old-fashioned water taxis had been booked for guests. Another said about 90 private jets were expected to land at Venice airport in the coming days. Another said seven wedding-related yachts had booked mooring spaces.
Over the past week, a large white canopy has been erected over Teatro Verde – an open-air theatre located on San Giorgio Island.
The Gritti Palace hotel, with its warm wood paneling, portraits of Venetian dogees and antique leather-bound books, will be reserved for wedding guests. Another venue is Papadopoli Palace – a baroque mansion on the Grand Canal, decorated with gilded details and giant Murano chandeliers, now an Aman hotel.
Although the menu for the parties is kept strictly secret, staff from the high-end catering company Federico Salza were present on the island of San Giorgio on June 23. Glassmaker Laguna B provided Murano glassware for the guests.
Antonio Rosa Salva – the sixth-generation heir to a Venetian pastry shop that once served local aristocrats – said he felt “pressured” to take on orders for Mr Bezos’s customers.
But many Venetians don't like that.
As money began to flow to Venice workers, and Mr. Bezos also donated to local research and conservation organizations, city officials asked: What was the problem with the wedding for locals?
“If I were a restaurant owner, I would be happy to have Mr. Bezos sitting at the table. Not having the waiter standing in front of the door to prevent him from entering,” said Simone Venturini, a city official.
But many residents here insist: Venice is not a restaurant, and they are not waiters.
“It’s this perception of Venice that drives people away,” said Tommaso Cacciari, one of the leaders of the protest against Mr. Bezos. “They see it not as a city, but as an amusement park.”
Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/doanh-nhan/dam-cuoi-bezos-sanchez-gay-chia-re-thanh-venice/20250627081915200
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