Venice, Venice, and Venice: Three Realities of the European City

Abstract

Venice is the perfect prototype of the threefold reality of the European city: the authentic European city, the fake European city, and the virtual European city. In fall 2002, the mayor of Venice went to Japan to promote his city. Venice, like most European cities, suffers from an eroding tax base, so obviously, he addressed Japanese tourist organizations to encourage them to bring more Japanese tourists to the city. In addition, however, he traveled to Tokyo to sell Venice as a brand name for Japanese products. More than 150 Japanese firms and enterprises use Venice in some form or other to brand their products, be it perfume, chocolate, fashion, or coffee chains. He promised to use the license fees to preserve the rich historical heritage of the proud city. The Japanese media reported extensively about the visit, but how successful the mayor was in the end has not been revealed.

We are all Venetians now ... — Witold Rybczinski 2003