Venice's waters turn fluorescent green near Rialto Bridge

Environmental protection agency is working to identify the substance that changed the colour

By Reuters

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Top Stories

Fluorescent green waters below the Rialto Bridge in Venice's Grand Canal. — AFP
Fluorescent green waters below the Rialto Bridge in Venice's Grand Canal. — AFP

Published: Sun 28 May 2023, 6:48 PM

Last updated: Sun 28 May 2023, 6:49 PM

The waters in Venice's main canal turned fluorescent green on Sunday in the area near the Rialto bridge and authorities are seeking to trace the cause, Italy's fire department said.

The regional environmental protection agency has received samples of the altered waters and is working to identify the substance that changed their colour, the department said in a tweet.


Venice's waters turn green due to an unknown substance near the Rialto Bridge, in Venice, Italy, on Sunday. — Reuters
Venice's waters turn green due to an unknown substance near the Rialto Bridge, in Venice, Italy, on Sunday. — Reuters

The Venice prefect has called an emergency meeting of police forces to understand what happened and study possible countermeasures, the Ansa news agency reported.

The incident echoes recent episodes in Italy where environmental groups have been colouring monuments, including using vegetable charcoal to turn the waters of Rome's Trevi fountain black in a protest against fossil fuels.


However, unlike previous cases, no activist group has come forward to claim responsibility for what happened in Venice.


More news from World