Tourists in Europe made a grave mistake with their ghoulish behavior by swimming in front of a cemetery in Venice. In widely shared footage, two men, observed by commuters on a water bus in the Italian city, left their clothes at the San Michele Cemetery last week before getting wet and wild among the graves.
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Isola di San Michele, home to a cemetery and a church, is an island located in the Venetian Lagoon, nestled between Venice and Murano. Visitors are often attracted to the island to pay their respects at the graves of notable individuals, including the renowned composer Igor Stravinsky, who was born in Russia.
Swimming in Venice is restricted to specific areas, such as public beaches, and is prohibited in the canals and other bodies of water within residential zones due to the presence of boats and unsanitary conditions. Violating these regulations can result in fines and being banned from the city.
The Internet Blasts Ghoulish Tourists For Swimming at an Italian Cemetery
Australia’s News.Com.Au shared the footage on Instagram, leading to a cavalcade of comments.
“If you have no damn sense you ought to stay home and inside at that,” one user wrote.
Of course, other users speculated on the nationality of the tourists.
“Bet they were Americans,” one user assumed. “Must be Australians… self centred & no regard for anyone else!”, a second person added.
However, others noted that swimming in the murky water wasn’t the best choice for their health.
“They think that water is clean enough to swim in 😂”, one user quipped. “Not a water you’d want to swim in really,” a second person agreed.
Meanwhile, one Instagram denizen went on an epic rant over the footage.
“The funny thing is that they wouldn’t do this in their own country,” they began. “They are all upstanding citizens. But when they come to Italy, they think they’re in some kind of playground and act however they want. They bathe in fountains, write on monuments, get drunk, often start fights, shout, and leave a mess. If there aren’t police officers patrolling in Italy, it’s because Italians know how to behave and don’t need constant supervision because they respect the rules.”
Tensions between tourists and locals in Venice are escalating a surge in tourism post-COVID. In response, the city has introduced an $8 entry fee for day-trippers during peak season and has capped tourist group sizes at 25 individuals.