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Arrigo Cipriani, 92-year-old owner of the renowned Harry’s Bar in Venice, sides with the many Venetians who have been calling on the authorities for years to limit uncontrolled water traffic on the canals of the lagoon city. So he and his son Giuseppe filed a lawsuit in court that could set a precedent.
In recent days, Cipriani’s lawyer Daniele Vianello has submitted a complaint to the public prosecutor’s office against the Venice municipality and the port authority, “since they are responsible for controlling the speed of all boats on the canals in the lagoon,” reported the Milan daily Corriere della Sera”.
Cipriani complains that customers at his second restaurant, “Harry’s Dolci” on the island of Giudecca, are increasingly getting their feet wet from the waves of the Giudecca Canal caused by boats that do not respect the speed limits.
The entrepreneur criticized the authorities for not tackling the problem of high waves due to the speed of motorboats and that his business was bearing the consequences. Cipriani had a white wooden breakwater built in front of his restaurant, but the monument protection authorities had it torn down because it was “contrary to the decorum and the valuable landscape elements of the island”.
Cipriani then decided to take legal action. He is convinced that many citizens could follow his example. “There are increasingly higher waves in the Giudecca Channel. They now pose a serious safety problem for those who walk on the shore because it is slippery, for those who own a small boat because it is difficult to stay on course, and for those who row because of the activity is becoming more and more dangerous. The wave problem has worsened because city managers are doing nothing. Those who drive too fast must be punished,” demanded the entrepreneur.
Over the years, famous guests such as Ernest Hemingway, Orson Welles, Aristotle Onassis and Maria Callas frequented the legendary cafe “Harry’s Bar”. The restaurant was opened in 1931 by Cipriani’s father and his American friend and financier Harry Pickering, who also gave it its name. The legendary café has been a listed building since 2001.
