‘No Respect At All’: Tourists Spotted Swimming At Historic Venice Cemetery, Locals Are

Two tourists in Venice recently drew criticism for their inappropriate behaviour by swimming in front of a cemetery. According to New York Post, the two men, spotted by commuters on a water bus, left their clothes in front of the San Michele Cemetery and took a swim in the murky water. The incident reportedly took place on August 14.

The video, captured by a passerby and shared by news website GMC, shows the two travellers splashing in the water with the cemetery visible in the background. San Michele Cemetery is located on Isola di San Michele, an island in the Venetian Lagoon, located between Venice and Murano. It also consists of a church.

Visitors are often attracted to this island to pay respects at the graves of notable figures, such as the renowned Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky.

As reported by NYP, Venice locals have voiced their outrage on social media over the visitors actions. One resident described their behaviour as “Shameful. Rude. Ignorant,” while another in agreement, said the tourists had “no respect at all.”

A comment also read, “I’m at a loss for words,” while one user suggested, “In other countries, they’d have been arrested, fined heavily, and then sent home with a boot.”

Swimming in Venice is restricted to designated public beaches, with canals and residential waterways off-limits due to boat traffic and poor water quality. Violating these rules can result in fines and ban from the city.

According to the news outlet, Venice is grappling with significant tourism issues. To manage the influx of visitors, the city has implemented an $8 (approximately Rs 670) entry fee for day trippers during peak season for the first time this year. The further measures include limited tourist groups to a maximum of 25 people.

Venice isn’t the only city dealing with overtourism, other European cities have also experienced issues with tourists’ behaviour before. Last month, in Spain’s Barcelona, diners were startled when visitors began playfully squirting water pistols. In Florence, Italy, a tourist’s behaviour sparked outrage when she climbed a statue and struck inappropriate poses, as reported in NYP.

Pictures of the incident were shared on the popular Instagram page with the moniker, Welcome to Florence. In one image, a woman was seen with her legs wrapped around the statue’s waist and arms around its neck, seemingly kissing it. Another photo depicted her bent over with her backside pressed against the statue.