Say It Ain't So, Giuseppe!
Saturday May 10, 2008
The International Herald Tribune reported yesterday that the city of Venice has banned the sale of birdseed in Saint Mark's Square. Citing health concerns and pigeon-related damage to the city's churches and monuments, the municipal council has revoked the licenses of 19 birdseed-sellers. The council hopes that the pigeons will leave once their food supply disappears.
It seems to me, though, that your tour group's stop in Saint Mark's Square won't be the same without all those pigeons.
Photo © Nancy Parode
Comments
You’re right! Tour groups in the piazza will be less entertained, but I believe the possibility of leaving San Marco with clean jacket, shirt and hair will go UP dramatically! I also believe that the plan will never work - even though they abandon dogs and cats by the hundreds every week, most Italians I know love birds - pigeons included- and you know that folks will just bring in birdseed from ’round the corner!
That’s what the municipal council had in mind. The Italian news articles I read mentioned salmonella and bird-borne diseases as a top concern.
The IHT article mentioned substitute pigeon food - bread crusts, chips and so on. I don’t know if that’s better or worse. I can just imagine those pigeons, which were certainly aggressive last time I was in Venice, dive-bombing unsuspecting tourists in order to grab panini chunks.