Venice averts inclusion on UNESCO endangered list

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 22 - Venice has averted being includd on UNESCO's endangered list after the government banned cruise ships from docking in the lagoon city, Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said Thursday.
    "Thanks to the government's decision to stop big ships passing in front of St Mark's and down the Giudecca Canal we have achieved a first, important result," said Franceschini after the UN body's heritage committee decision.
    "Now, global attention on Venice must remain high and it a duty of everyone to work for the protection of the lagoon and find a path of sustainable development for this unique reality, in which culture and the creative industry are called to play a protagonist's role". (ANSA).