But change is afoot. In 2021, Venice banned large cruise ships from docking in the historic centre, and some now stop in Chioggia instead, including a Viking vessel with an occupancy of 930. This is a big shift for the town. People used to visit Chioggia as part of a Lagoon tour, or maybe as a day trip from the nearby Sottomarina beach resort, but now it has accidentally become a destination in its own right.
Silvia Vianello, a resident of Chioggia, tells me that the introduction of cruise ships has gone well so far. “Tourism has revitalised many businesses and shops that were on the brink of closure after the Covid pandemic, with new shops, restaurants, and support services emerging,” she says. The wider tourism economy is blossoming, too – some of those crumbling buildings are being bought up and converted into B&Bs.
“Showcasing our city is a source of great pride. We strive to ensure that visitors not only appreciate its beauty but also understand its fragility,” Vianello says.
Towards the end of my stay in Chioggia a clock tower chimed to mark aperitivo time, so I found a seat on the terrace of Bar Bellini and ordered an Aperol spritz. It was served up blood red, with a little ham sandwich that the local pigeons claimed as their own, much to the amusement of the afterwork rabble who were already on their second or third spritz. I checked my phone and saw my friend had taken the bait.
“Venice?” they asked.
“Not far away,” I replied. Although beyond the occasional aesthetic similarities, Chioggia feels a world apart. A town of fine art, gondoliers, majestic architecture, it is not. What you get instead is a glimpse of an unpretentious side of Italy, where tourism remains a force for good, where the fish is sold fresh and the Aperol served strong – which is enlightening in its own way.