Venice’s main canal has turned fluorescent green near Italy’s world-famous Rialto Bridge, with authorities still trying to find the cause. Source:VigilFuoco Veneto/Twitter
The Grand Canal in Venice has turned a fluorescent shade of green near Italy’s world-famous Rialto Bridge, with authorities still attempting to determine the cause of the colour.
The Italian fire department posted a video on Twitter on Sunday, filmed from a boat passing through the iridescent waters.
#28maggio #Venezia, Canal Grande colorato di verde e quello che hanno costatato questa mattina i #vigilidelfuoco intervenuti insieme ad @arpaveneto per dei prelievi per analizzare la colorazione anomala #soccorsiquotidiani pic.twitter.com/tzKoQqEXvx
— VigilFuoco Veneto (@vvfveneto) May 28, 2023
“The Grand Canal coloured in green is what the fire department found this morning as we intervened together with ARPAV to collect samples and analyse this abnormal colour,” said the fire department.
ARPAV, an environmental protection agency for the Veneto region has received water samples and was working to determine the cause of the water’s colour.
According to the Ansa news agency, an emergency meeting of police forces was called by the Venice Prefect to understand the cause and determine if there are any possible countermeasures.
Italian media have reported that local police were examining CCTV footage to determine if any individuals were involved the in colouring of the water.
The Veneto region governor, Luca Zaia, also posted a social media photo of the green water spreading near the Rialto Bridge.
The coloured waters are reminiscent to string of environmental protests across Italy, with activists colouring notable monuments. Just last week, activists poured black liquid made from diluted vegetable charcoal into the water of Rome’s Trevi Fountain.
In March, climate activists spray-painted the walls of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, in an attempt to highlight the necessity to better combat the global climate crisis.
However, no group has claimed responsibility for the green colours of Venice’s water.
However, this is not the first time Venice’s Grand Canal has run green. In 1968, Argentine artist Nicolas Garcia Uriburu poured fluorescent green dye into the canal as an artistic stunt to promote awareness of worsening water pollution.
The pigment that Uriburu used turned bright green when microorganisms in the water synthesised it.
Venice recently made the news because of its additional tourist fee beginning in January, due to concerns that the amount of visitor’s were contributing to the city’s gradual sinking.
