Venice is facing fresh controversy over a proposal to host Boardwalk, a 380-foot superyacht valued at $450 million, during one of the city's signature festivals.
Critics say the stop would turn a longstanding public celebration into a showcase for billionaire wealth, as The Times of London reports.
What happened?
The possible Venice stop is part of an Italian tour tied to America's 250th anniversary. Tilman Fertitta, Trump's ambassador to Italy and the owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets, has said he is visiting leaders in 13 coastal regions, including Naples, Genoa, Palermo, and Cefalù, in what he calls "coastal diplomacy," as the Daily Beast noted.
The Times of London reported that Fertitta and Boardwalk could arrive in Venice for this year's Festa del Redentore on July 18 and 19. The annual event marks the city's deliverance from the 1577 plague and features fireworks and a floating bridge of barges across the Grand Canal.
If the yacht does show up, it will do so in a city still dealing with anger over Jeff Bezos' lavish 2025 wedding in Venice, per The Times of London.
Fertitta, speaking aboard the yacht, also sought to minimize friction after the G7 summit between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, describing it as only a "small hitch."
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The Times of London reports residents are discussing actions such as marches, banners on bridges, and canal blockades.
Why does it matter?
For many Venetians, the controversy goes far beyond a single yacht. Venice has for years grappled with overtourism, mounting housing pressure, and a growing sense that residents are being pushed aside while their city is used as a luxury backdrop for outsiders. Bringing a superyacht into one of the city's most treasured festivals touches all of those concerns at once.
Massive yachts are resource-intensive and can add pollution and congestion to fragile coastal areas already strained by heavy visitor traffic. When public waterways and historic spaces are effectively tailored around ultrawealthy visitors, local residents are often left to absorb the disruption.
The diplomatic backdrop has only sharpened the dispute.
After Trump said Meloni had asked him for a photo at the G7 summit, the Italian leader responded, "Italy and I never beg." That exchange added to questions about whether a flashy yacht tour is an appropriate symbol of U.S.-Italy relations.
What are people saying?
Federica Toninello of Laboratorio Occupato Morion, one of the groups involved in protests over the Bezos wedding, put the complaint bluntly to The Times of London.
"This is about the exploitation of Venice," she told the publication. "Flaunting that level of wealth is a slap in the face to people who are increasingly struggling to make ends meet and find a home in Venice."
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