The billionaire tech mogul and his fiancée initially planned to host their marriage festivities in Cannaregio, a vibrant and central nightlife area, but concerns over potential demonstrations prompted a change of venue, according to the sources.
For weeks, local residents and activist groups have been voicing their concerns that the event would transform the picturesque city of gondolas and palaces into a private playground for the wealthy, threatening peaceful blockades.
Following the wedding ceremony, which is shrouded in secrecy regarding its location and exact date—expected to occur sometime between Thursday and Saturday—approximately 200-250 VIP guests from entertainment, politics, and finance will proceed to a hall within the Arsenale, a vast 14th-century complex located in the eastern Castello district.
This hall, surrounded by water and inaccessible by land when connecting bridges are raised, is deemed a more secure location than Cannaregio’s Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a former medieval religious school.
Originally a massive shipyard that supported the Venetian Republic’s maritime empire, the Arsenale has been renovated and repurposed into an exhibition space for the Venice Biennale art fair.
Bezos, 61, the executive chair of the e-commerce behemoth Amazon and ranked no. 4 on Forbes’ billionaires list, became engaged to Sanchez, 55, in 2023, four years following the end of his 25-year marriage to Mackenzie Scott.
The couple’s choice to tie the knot in Venice aligns with other celebrity weddings in the enchanting city, including the union of US actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014.
“The news that Bezos has moved away from the Misericordia is a tremendous victory for us,” stated Tommaso Cacciari, a leader of the “No Space for Bezos” campaign, which is spearheading opposition to the wedding.
This group has announced additional protests scheduled for Saturday along Venice’s canals, bridges, and narrow streets, vowing to make the event a “nightmare” for Bezos and his guests.
Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto region encompassing the city, criticized the protests, noting that the 90 private jets transporting guests to nearby airports would generate up to 48 million euros ($55.69 million) in revenue for local businesses.
Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, who have been vacationing in Tuscany, stopped by the luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari on their journey to the Venice wedding, a source familiar with their movements disclosed.
