Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
Another, though more subtle, example of heritage desecration
A heated public debate has erupted following the projection of American Express and other corporate sponsors’ logos on the facades of the Ponte Vecchio bridge and the Institute of the Innocents in Florence. This happened during the recent F-Light 2021 light festival taking place on 8 and 9 January.
The opinion of the general public was that these acts in essence commercialized the social and artistic side of the event and cheapened the experience and the architectural heritage of the Tuscan city.
As we have recently seen with the case of Scala dei Turchi, Italians can be quite touchy when it comes to messing with their heritage treasures. That also reflects national and socio-cultural pride which seeks a sense of purism from corporate intrusion.
Interestingly enough, that goes even for the football sphere. Whereas, it has become more and more common to see the renaming of other famous European stadiums to reflect their corporate sponsorship, Italians have been loath to take such a step preferring to honour real persons’ legacies. Recent case is the renaming of the Naples’ San Paolo to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The public discontent in Florence got so loud that even the city’s mayor Dario Nardella had to comment on it, given that his administration also became target of the critics.
“We will defend ourselves from any complaints with great serenity because we have a clear conscience and because Florence in recent years has grown culturally like never before.
An image with the sponsor's logo, which I consider wrong because it is not suitable for those places, cannot become the pretext for attacking the reputation of a city and of those who manage it with such aggression,” wrote the mayor on his Facebook page.
He explained that action had been taken for such missteps to not occur again in future editions of the light festival, however, he also reminded that the role of private sponsorship in culture cannot be ignored.
He promised that sponsorship advertising will continue but through more traditional media and not as part of the audiovisual creations.
Mr Nardella tried to keep a careful balance between social and corporate interests in ensuring that there is a spirit of collaboration rather than hostility.
“Shocked and horrified,” is how the director of the Uffizi Gallery, Eike Schmidt, described his reaction to the news, as quoted by La Nazione. “The advertising projected on Ponte Vecchio also included a part of the Vasari Corridor. We have never been asked for any authorization, as it is prescribed by law. We would never have approved such contempt of our heritage”.
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
The previous mayor was forced out of office following a no-confidence vote in the city council
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
The German Aerospace Center in Cologne is looking for volunteers for its next bed rest study
Muksubussi is nature-friendly, too, so they provide 2-in-1 benefit
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
The intervention has affected the mountainous districts of the Catalan capital
Even an Eternal City had to start from somewhere
On this day 200 years ago, the great poet lost his life in the Balkan country where he had gone to fight for its liberty
Muksubussi is nature-friendly, too, so they provide 2-in-1 benefit
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team