Venetians flee city

VENICE, Italy, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Residents of Venice are leaving the "Bride of the Adriatic" at a rate that could leave the city an empty museum in 30 years, The Independent reported.

The exodus began with a flood in November 1966. The population now is just over 62,000, or about half the pre-flood level, with almost 2,000 people moving out in 2005, the newspaper said.

Almost that many tourists are in the city at the height of the season.

The newspaper said the increasing numbers of floods -- now an average of 60 a year -- are driving many residents away. At the same time, housing costs are high because foreigners buy Venetian property as second homes.

To make life more difficult for ordinary Italians, shops that cater to their needs are being replaced by boutiques and other businesses aimed at tourists.

Mayor Massimo Cacciari says Venice needs to develop beyond the "tourism monoculture." At the same time, he opposes a system of gates now under construction, designed to relieve flooding.