Venice 'sells out' in $2m Coca-Cola sponsorship

Coca-cola has agreed a $2 million deal to sponsor Venice, causing outrage from critics, who said the city was "selling its cultural soul"

The £1.37 million deal involves Coca-Cola placing dozens of vending machines at strategic locations all over the city, which attracts more than 20 million tourists a year.

Officials at cash-strapped Venice council said they agreed to the scheme because they were short of funds for restoration work.

They also said some of the money would be diverted into flood defence schemes following severe flooding before Christmas after an exceptionally high tide.

But critics attacked the-five year deal saying Venice had "sold itself to Coca-Cola" and pointing out that the machines would be in St Mark's Square where there is ban on open-air eating and drinking unless at a bar.

Last year Venice was accused of selling itself after the council announced neon electric advert hoardings for public buildings.

Mayor Massimo Cacciari said he was astounded by the criticism and that the deal was no different from others adopted by the city: "This is a financial strategy that today is simply indispensable for safeguarding our monuments and artistic heritage and is in line with culture ministry guidelines.

"It follows a strategy we've adopted with other equally prestigious collaborators - Lancia for the restoration of the Ducal Palace, Swatch for the Biblioteca Marciana, Replay for Ca' Rezzonico and Bulgari for the Scala d'Oro."

Mr Cacciari also said the idea that Venice could be safeguarded "by philanthropy alone" was unrealistic.

"These idealists who protest against strategies such as (the Coca-Cola deal), which by now have been adopted in all the cities of the world, should have the good taste to indicate an alternative, or even better, provide for the needs of the city from their own pockets."

Last month Mr Cacciari warned that Venice's monuments and churches risked falling into ruin because too much state aid was being directed to a project to prevent the city sinking.

The €4.3billion Moses scheme is scheduled to come into action in 2014. It involves flood barriers which rise from the sea bed to block the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea when high tides are forecast. Mr Cacciari, a longstanding opponent of the scheme, has warned there are no guarantees it will work.