Venice divided as A-listers descend for Bezos wedding
The tech magnate and journalist have reportedly invited about 200 guests to their multi-million-dollar nuptials in the Italian city, which are expected to begin on Thursday and end on Saturday with a ceremony at a secret location.
The security details are under tight wraps amid media speculation that the wedding may take place at the historic Church of the Abbey of Misericordia, or at the Arsenale – a vast shipyard complex dating back to when Venice was a republic.
Bezos, 61, and former news anchor and entertainment reporter Sanchez, 55, are said to have fully booked the city's finest hotels for a star-studded guest list rumoured to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom and Ivanka Trump.
At least 95 private planes have requested permission to land at Venice's Marco Polo airport, Italy's Corriere della Sera said.
Bezos's superyacht, Koru, is expected to be moored just off the iconic San Giorgio Maggiore island, which lies just opposite St Mark's Square.
Star-studded
The lavish celebration has sparked protests in Venice, where some fear A-list guests and their entourages will make life worse for residents in a city already buckling under the weight of mass tourism.
Around 100,000 tourists stay overnight in peak periods, while tens of thousands descend just for the day.
Venice hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney 11 years ago, but protesters say Bezos - one of the world's richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers - is different.
As environmentalists questioned the guests' carbon footprint, Greenpeace slammed the billions spent on hedonistic partying while the fragile city is "sinking under the weight of the climate crisis".
Sanchez has also been criticised for saying more must be done to tackle climate change while also taking part in a space flight in April on a rocket developed by Bezos's space company Blue Origin.
Activists unfurled a giant 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."
'Private ballroom'
The lagoon city has imposed a ticket policy for day-trippers, but locals say more must be done to protect local businesses and tackle the housing crisis.
Tommaso Cacciari, 47, who heads the No Space for Bezos movement, said the protesters object to "the use of Venice as if it were a very private ballroom, rather than a real city with inhabitants, with frailties, with problems".
He told AFP such events were "condemning Venice to a definitive death" by driving out remaining residents, and said protesters were ready to kill the romance by throwing "our bodies, our boats and inflatable animals" into canals as guests pass.
The couple's Sicilian wedding planners Lanza & Baucina said they have been instructed to minimise any disruption to the city.
And Simone Venturini, Venice's tourism city councillor, denied it would disrupt daily life, telling AFP it was just "one of many events that the city hosts on a daily basis. It is also relatively small in terms of the number of people involved".
The couple, both divorced, have made charity donations to support the city and are employing historic Venetian artisans.
Venice's oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century "fishermen's biscuits" for party bags also expected to contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass.
While disgruntled citizens hoping to make a splash ready their swimming costumes, others flattered by Bezos's decision to celebrate here have set up a counter-group called 'Yes Venice Can'.
"It's a fragile city, that's clear, it's not like you can do everything all the time, no matter what – but events like this don't create any problems at all," said 50-year-old local Michele Serafini.
The wedding "brings money to the city of Venice" and that can only be a good thing, he said.
By Lisa Duso with Ella Ide in Rome.
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Venice divided as A-listers descend for Bezos wedding
The tech magnate and journalist have reportedly invited about 200 guests to their multi-million-dollar nuptials in the Italian city, which are expected to begin on Thursday and end on Saturday with a ceremony at a secret location. The security details are under tight wraps amid media speculation that the wedding may take place at the historic Church of the Abbey of Misericordia, or at the Arsenale – a vast shipyard complex dating back to when Venice was a republic. Bezos, 61, and former news anchor and entertainment reporter Sanchez, 55, are said to have fully booked the city's finest hotels for a star-studded guest list rumoured to include Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom and Ivanka Trump. At least 95 private planes have requested permission to land at Venice's Marco Polo airport, Italy's Corriere della Sera said. Bezos's superyacht, Koru, is expected to be moored just off the iconic San Giorgio Maggiore island, which lies just opposite St Mark's Square. Star-studded The lavish celebration has sparked protests in Venice, where some fear A-list guests and their entourages will make life worse for residents in a city already buckling under the weight of mass tourism. Around 100,000 tourists stay overnight in peak periods, while tens of thousands descend just for the day. Venice hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney 11 years ago, but protesters say Bezos - one of the world's richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers - is different. As environmentalists questioned the guests' carbon footprint, Greenpeace slammed the billions spent on hedonistic partying while the fragile city is "sinking under the weight of the climate crisis". Sanchez has also been criticised for saying more must be done to tackle climate change while also taking part in a space flight in April on a rocket developed by Bezos's space company Blue Origin. Activists unfurled a giant 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." 'Private ballroom' The lagoon city has imposed a ticket policy for day-trippers, but locals say more must be done to protect local businesses and tackle the housing crisis. Tommaso Cacciari, 47, who heads the No Space for Bezos movement, said the protesters object to "the use of Venice as if it were a very private ballroom, rather than a real city with inhabitants, with frailties, with problems". He told AFP such events were "condemning Venice to a definitive death" by driving out remaining residents, and said protesters were ready to kill the romance by throwing "our bodies, our boats and inflatable animals" into canals as guests pass. The couple's Sicilian wedding planners Lanza & Baucina said they have been instructed to minimise any disruption to the city. And Simone Venturini, Venice's tourism city councillor, denied it would disrupt daily life, telling AFP it was just "one of many events that the city hosts on a daily basis. It is also relatively small in terms of the number of people involved". The couple, both divorced, have made charity donations to support the city and are employing historic Venetian artisans. Venice's oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century "fishermen's biscuits" for party bags also expected to contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass. While disgruntled citizens hoping to make a splash ready their swimming costumes, others flattered by Bezos's decision to celebrate here have set up a counter-group called 'Yes Venice Can'. "It's a fragile city, that's clear, it's not like you can do everything all the time, no matter what – but events like this don't create any problems at all," said 50-year-old local Michele Serafini. The wedding "brings money to the city of Venice" and that can only be a good thing, he said. By Lisa Duso with Ella Ide in Rome.
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