Italy Venice seals off neighborhoods for Bezos wedding
Due to the wedding of US billionaire Jeff Bezos, parts of Venice have been declared a restricted area. Around the Madonna dell'Orto monastery church, where the first big celebration is to take place in the evening, boat traffic on the canals is prohibited.
26.06.2025, 11:47
SDA
In the afternoon, pedestrians will no longer be allowed there either. Security personnel are also preventing access to other parts of the city, such as the island of San Giorgio opposite St. Mark's Square, where the wedding ceremony is to take place on Friday, and the Arsenale shipyard.
The 61-year-old founder of online retailer Amazon and his future wife Lauren Sánchez (55) are staying at the luxury Aman Hotel on the Grand Canal, one of the most expensive hotels in the Italian lagoon city, for the duration of the wedding.
On arrival, they waved to the waiting paparazzi and many other curious onlookers. Around 200 guests are expected to attend the festivities, including many celebrities from the USA.
Strict security measures throughout the city
Strict security measures are in place due to fears of attacks as a result of the war in the Middle East and also because of a number of protests that have been announced.
The city, which currently has to cope with more than 100,000 tourists every day, has an unusually high police and military presence. Snipers are also said to be posted on some rooftops.
Meanwhile, it has been announced that Bezos - one of the richest men in the world with an estimated fortune of 220 billion US dollars - is donating a further two million euros (around 1.87 million Swiss francs) to various institutions in Venice. A donation of one million was previously known.
According to media reports, guests were also asked to refrain from giving gifts to the couple and to donate money for the renovation of Venice.
Bezos opponents announce further protests
The city earns very well from the many millions of tourists who visit every year. However, mass tourism is also causing it a lot of problems. Various groups have announced that they will be protesting against the wedding under the slogan "No Space for Bezos".
They accuse Mayor Luigi Brugnaro of selling their city to the second or third richest man in the world for a lot of money. Pamphlets against Bezos can already be seen on the walls of many buildings.
In the meantime, a number of prominent guests are already in the city, including the US president's daughter Ivanka Trump. According to a report in the newspaper "La Repubblica", Bezos and Sánchez attended a gala dinner hosted by fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg with 50 other guests in a luxury restaurant on Wednesday evening. The menu included a stew with rare squid from the Venice lagoon. The price per kilo for this is currently 260 euros on the markets.
Private jets are now landing at Marco Polo Airport every hour. More than 100 special flights are expected by Friday. Several yachts worth millions of francs are already moored in front of Venice's world-famous backdrop.
According to media reports, the guest list also includes Barbra Streisand, Oprah Winfrey, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio and Orlando Bloom. From the business world, Bill Gates (Microsoft) and Eric Schmidt (Google) are expected to be among those in attendance. There is also speculation about appearances by Lady Gaga, Elton John and Mick Jagger.
