Orsoni is firm: Santa Margherita Shuts Down with the Midnight Marangona

This sprawling campo with numerous late-night locales creates an ideal environment for students and other can meet and hang out. The only problem is — given that stone and water surfaces carry and amplify even the most subdued conversation — anyone within earshot can’t get a lick of sleep.

What’s a mayor to do? Guest contributor and journalist Gioia Tiozzo of 100x100venezia.it reports.

Venice, August 10 – It’s decided, at least for now. In Campo Santa Margherita and San Pantalon, bars, restaurants, pizzerias and gelaterie will lower their saracinesche [rolling metal storefront gates] and send everyone a casa. It’s a bold — if risky — new move to find a solution to managing the nightlight in the only campo In Venice where masses of youth congregate every evening [especially in summer]. The order will remain in force for the next two months, then reevaluated. Mayor Orsoni has left for the holidays, and the merchants, who certainly will not stand silent and watch, are left holding the bag. 

The issues at stake are not insignificant. 29 enterprises — as many types of activities are affected by the order — will be left to deal with a substantial loss of revenue and possible redundancy. If kitchens have to close at 11pm, some cooks and servers could also be left at home.

Certainly the mayor had to do something. According to the findings of ARPAV, the noise level in Campo Santa Margherita at that hour is equal to that of an industrial area. It’s easy to understand the [ongoing] irritation of [the campo’s] residents, who need to sleep at a reasonable hour. Hence the drastic decision.

“That’s the way you kill a town” say business owners, who yesterday morning gathered at Ca ‘Farsetti to get the May0r’s attention. They want more dialogue and a discussion board to seek an alternative solution together.

The problem, in fact, according to operators, it is not up to the opening night of the premises, rather the lack of control over activity such as shouting, bongo playing, etc. They would have never come up with such a drastic solution; a better one would be to wet the floor at night (as is done in other Italian cities), thus discouraging groups from sitting on the wet ground chattering away into the wee hours.

Joy Tiozzo

Read Italian? See the original post here.

One thought on “Orsoni is firm: Santa Margherita Shuts Down with the Midnight Marangona

  1. Yvonne

    I hope they can sort this out in a manner to suit all parties. It’s such a vibrant campo at many hours, but I wouldn’t like to live there with the commotion at night! Where is King Solomon when we need him?

    Yvonne

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