 | Venice Pigeons Reviews | 1 - 9 of 9 |  |
It was stated in a report some years ago that there were about 105,000 pigeons in Venice. That’s a ratio of 1.8 pigeons for each Venetian. There are pigeons on every street, every piazza, every fountain, every statue, every roof, every telephone line, every windowsill, every canopy, and every wall niche.
Piazza San Marco held a very important role in history when it was used in the XII century as the site for the summit between Pope Alexander III and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa I -- the latter eventually had to yield to the papal power and signed the Treaty of Venice. Unfortunately, this historical place is now pigeons' haven and heaven. Although a city regulation was introduced in the '90s to prohibit feeding pigeons, this decree granted an exemption to pigeons in Piazza Marco.
Can you find logic behind this bizarre law? I can. There is a big difference between pigeons on San Marco and pigeons on other parts of the city: the ones on San Marco are income producers while the others are just plain nuisances.
If you don't believe me, try to explain the presence of the licensed corn-for-pigeons sellers on San Marco. A business license on a prime location is neither cheap nor easy to come by, but while other types of enterprises could not muster enough finance to occupy a spot on San Marco, the simple corn sellers see their businesses flourish day after day. Who is to thank for this blessing? Pigeons. Who is the ultimate beneficiary? The City of Venice. Pigeons attract tourists; tourists spend money. Healthy pigeons equal healthy income equal healthy tax to collect.
It’s a tourist trap but no one cares. Leave a Comment
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On St. Marco's square, it seems to be a traditional thing to do to feed the hundreds of pigeons.
Some people still enjoy feeding the pigeons. Remember that if a pigeon poops on your head, you're supposed to let it dry...do not wipe it right away or it will make a mess.
Fortunately, I did not have this problem because I tried to stay away from the birds. Leave a Comment
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I guess whether you view this as a tourist trap or an attraction depends on your taste and viewpoint. At any rate there are tons of pigeons in St. Mark's square and they are waiting for you to buy some seed from a street vendor and feed them. They become VERY friendly when you do (see the girl in the photo)! All in all they are probably part of the ambience of St. Marks's, but they can also leave unwanted gifts on top of your head or clothes. The best advice I have heard is that you should let the poop dry before cleaning it and then it just brushes away. Not so easy if you have a big dollop in your hair or on your clothes. Leave a Comment
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FEEDING THE PIGEONS... There are people in St Mark's square selling food to feed the hundreds of pigeons there....yes it is touristy...yes it is silly....yes....I fed them too!!! Leave a Comment
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Lol, as a child in St. Marc Square in Venice Italy, feeding the pigeons was a highlight! But unless you are 9 years old and willing to fork over money for rather expensive bird food sold in the square, then its not recommended!
Some feel they must have this experience at least once- I am actually glad I did; I was a kid so I wasn't the one paying for all the bird feed! Lol. Hundreds of pigeons flock you and well, do you want a hundred just fed pigeons flying over you and landing on you?! Lol, luckily I don't speak from ill experience in that reguard.
If you MUST do this once anyways, why not bring your own feed? Save yourself money. Don't spend a lot of time feeding the pigeons; it can be fun, but as my parents often expressed to me, "You'd feed the pigeons for hours than were hungry, then were too tired to do anything else."
There are LOTS of alternatives in Venice, especially if you are an architecture/history buff. Our favorite thing to do was to meander the streets, and find our nice little hole in the wall, but I forgot the name of it now. Anyways, the interesting thing about the place we found was Mel Gibson has gone in there and taken a picture inside the restaurant, and my mom is a crazy fan so she bought it from them-- it was kinda neat for her. So, go out and explore-- having no itinerary can be the best itenerary for Venice some days. Leave a Comment
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Anybody visiting Venice has experienced the pigeons feeding in San Marco Square.
You can by a corn bag there (1€ each) and just wait for the pigeons attacking you....you will have them everywhere: on the shoulders, on the arms, and even on the head!!!
If you remember...just bring some bread with you....the pigeons will come to you at any rate Leave a Comment
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I couldn't believe how many people were happy to stand in St Marks Square, hand over their money and glad accept flocks of pigeons descending onto them when they got their bird seed out!!
Wear a scarf!! Leave a Comment
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There are more pigeons in St Marks Square than inhabitants in Venice! There are people selling seeds on the square to feed them - which I personally do not think is a good idea as every time the pigeons saw someone with food they swooped and divebombed down, and sometimes you may be in their path, which they do not really care about!!
Apparantly there was a ban on feeding them at one point - which didn't work.
Sadly the acid in the bird droppings eats away at the stone on the monuments. But it looks like the pigeons are there to stay as long as the tourists are there to feed them! Leave a Comment
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Destinations near Venice- La Giudecca, 0.79 km / 0.49 miles
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