A friend just told me that a couple times a week fishing boats unload very early in St Mark's Square and hundreds of cats appear. Anyone know anything about this and what days of the week it is and what time?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Maybe back in the 1950s. These days, there are very few cats left in Venice. And I don't believe the fishing boats would unload in St. Mark's, anyway. More likely they would unload near the fish market, closer to the Rialto Bridge.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32919 posts
Whatever would possess fishing boats to unload at St Marco when the fish market is half a city away at Rialto? Every day there are tons of fish of all sorts and types at Rialto and I have never seen a cat there. Does this friend have photos?
Posted by
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
127 posts
I have walked through Piazza San Marco several times, even had coffee there. I've seen people and I've seen pigeons, but nary a cat or a fish. Actually I would have welcomed a few cats; they might have intimidated the pigeons! Perhaps your friend has described Saint Mark's Square in another country.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
32919 posts
a few cats; they might have intimidated the pigeons No way - you've seen those pigeons - they'd eat the cats alive!!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Maybe that's what happened to the cats.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
"A friend just told me..." The beginning of many a mythical story ;-)
Posted by
Little Rock, AR
105 posts
There is a small colony of cats that lives in some shelters built for them at San Lorenzo. Nice folks bring food and water for them.
Posted by
Land of La
8716 posts
There ARE cats in Venice. Saw some on 2009 trip. Here's and interesting link about why there are so few these days. http://www.fictionalcities.co.uk/veniceandcats.htm Sanctuary!
Posted by
Atlanta, Ga, USA
2023 posts
Never saw many cats on several trips to Venice-maybe a black one here or there-assumed they were owned and cared for. We just returned from Istanbul and the sight of so many stray cats was really overwhelming-hundreds-some living around the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia and Topkapi. It is a shame the city cannot create a cat sanctuary such as the one in Rome.