Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez say ‘I do’ in a divided Venice

VENICE – Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos and Ms Lauren Sanchez tied the knot on June 27 at a sumptuous ceremony with the rich and famous on an island in Venice’s lagoon, out of the sight and sound of protesters.

“This city seems impossible! It can’t exist and yet, here it is!” an enchanted Mr Bezos told a La Repubblica journalist on June 26 who got close to the magnate as he whizzed around the canals by boat.

But protesters had a different view, wondering how long Venice can endure: While the billionaires party, activists say the fragile city is sinking, overrun by tourists, and has become a victim of depopulation as locals unable to pay soaring rents are forced out.

“No Kings, No Bezos”, read a sign in green neon projected on the St Mark’s Campanile tower on the night of June 26.

Serenaded

Ms Sanchez late on June 27 posted a photo on Instagram – under a new name, laurensanchezbezos – showing her in a long flowing white dress and Mr Bezos in black tie, though it did not provide any indication of where it was taken.

Mr Bezos and Ms Sanchez, a former news anchor and entertainment reporter, celebrated their nuptials with guests who included Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey and Orlando Bloom.

The tech magnate, 61, and Ms Sanchez, 55, are staying at the Aman hotel, a luxury 16th-century palazzo on the Grand Canal with a view of the Rialto bridge.

Other A-list guests are staying at the Gritti Palace and the St Regis.

The couple exchanged vows at a black-tie ceremony on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore on the afternoon of June 27, according to Italian media reports.

The wedding is thought to have taken place in a vast open-air amphitheatre on the island, which sits across from Venice’s iconic St Mark’s Square.

The newlyweds were to be serenaded by Matteo Bocelli, son of the famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli, reports said.

Michelin-starred chef Fabrizio Mellino prepared the wedding dinner, while the cake was made by French pastry chef Cedric Grolet, the Corriere della Sera said.

Ms Sanchez is alleged to have prepared 27 outfits to wear during the festivities.

‘Enchanted’

Wedding guests snapped by paparazzi as they hopped into boats included Jordan’s Queen Rania, French luxury goods executive Francois-Henri Pinault, American football player Tom Brady, US fashion designer Spencer Antle, the singer Usher, and Ms Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner.

The guests reportedly lunched on June 26 in the gardens of Villa Baslini, on the islet of San Giovanni Evangelista.

The celebrations are set to end on June 28 with a party, likely at the Arsenale, a vast shipyard complex dating back to when the city was a naval powerhouse.

Mr Bezos and Ms Sanchez are donating €3 million (S$4.5 million) to the city, according to Veneto regional president Luca Zaia, and are employing historic Venetian artisans.

Venice’s oldest pastry maker Rosa Salva is baking 19th-century “fishermen’s biscuits” for party bags that will also contain something by Laguna B, renowned for its handblown Murano glass.

Ms Trump and her family visited a glass-blowing workshop on the small island of Murano on June 25, according to the owner.

“They were amazed and enchanted by the magic of glass,” Mr Massimiliano Schiavon told the Corriere della Sera, adding that the family had a go at blowing glass.

Venice, home to the oldest film festival in the world, is used to VIPs whizzing around in speedboats, and happily hosted the star-studded nuptials of Hollywood actor George Clooney in 2014.

Some say this wedding, too, brings good business.

Italy’s tourism ministry said on June 27 it expected the wedding to bring the city nearly €1 billion, with about €895 million of that estimated to come from the “media visibility” generated.

But critics say Mr Bezos, one of the world’s richest men and founder of a company regularly scrutinised for how it treats its workers, is different.

“Tax Billionaires”, read protest signs along canals. “In the time it takes you to read this, Jeff Bezos’ wealth has increased by more than your monthly salary”, they read in English and Italian.

Environmental activists have also pointed to the carbon footprint of the mega yachts and dozens of private jets – at least 95 – bringing the rich and famous to the city.

But Mr Samuel Silvestri, a 55-year-old salesman, welcomed the extravaganza.

“Over-tourism is caused by those people who come with a backpack and their own food, and contribute very little,” he said, “not those who transform Venice into a mini-Monte Carlo. This marriage helps the image of the city.”

Italy’s health ministry has issued a red heat alert for Venice for the weekend, part of a heatwave affecting much of southern Europe. AFP