Impressions: Venice Under Lockdown

Since I have moved back to Venice in February 2021, I have had the chance to experience the city like I’ve never done before. That is, quiet. Somewhat empty, save for the few residents who still live here. And yet, somewhat alive, too. Alive the way a place feels when it’s inhabited and lived, not just consumed.

As I write this, on April 3rd, I hear children playing in the square just around the corner from my flat. Locals stop along the Strada Nova to shop and chat. You hear Venetian being spoken here and there. You hear the seagulls. Normally – meaning, prior to November 2019, when Venice totaled a jaw-dropping 27 million visitors – you wouldn’t.

I try to take it all in. This moment. The silence, and the true sounds of the city. Its pace, its frailty. To create a sold imprint in my mind before it all goes back to what it was. And for much that we all know that this is not sustainable, that we need others to come here and help us keep this place afloat (the irony of this), we all can’t help to be madly in love with it as it is right now. Perhaps because we know that it’s fleeting.

Below is a short series of unadulterated, unedited, unforgettable images of Venice in March 2021, captured over a couple of afternoon walks.