Spanish
Rome, June 27 (EFE).- Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and former presenter Lauren Sánchez will exchange symbolic "I do's" this Friday on the island of San Giorgio, in Venice (northern Italy), in a secure and exclusive ceremony with the presence of celebrities such as the Kardashians, actor Orlando Bloom, and Queen Rania of Jordan.
Around 200 VIP guests have arrived in the city of canals in the last few hours aboard luxury yachts and private jets. Among them are also the magnate Bill Gates, the former American football player Tom Brady and the eldest daughter of the President of the United States, Ivanka Trump.
Although the wedding was initially planned at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, a historic palace in the Cannaregio district, it was finally moved to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, a more secluded and easily controllable enclave from a logistical and security point of view, according to local media.
The island, located in front of the famous St. Mark's Square and with privileged views of the heart of Venice, remains sealed off with strict land, river, and air access controls, anti-drone systems, and reinforced surveillance.
Following the exchange of rings and the symbolic "I do", since the couple officially married in the United States, a fireworks display over the lagoon and a concert by singer Matteo Bocelli, son of tenor Andrea Bocelli, are planned, according to the same sources.
Tomorrow, Saturday, as a culmination of the three days of celebrations, a big party and the performance of Elton John and Lady Gaga are expected.
Another reason why the location of the link was kept secret for weeks was the protests and controversies sparked by the American magnate's marriage.
While some sectors opposed the celebration in any part of the city, others, such as representatives of the local opposition, pointed out that an enclave without residents like San Giorgio avoided conflicts with Venetian daily life.
"The island of San Giorgio is a viable alternative. Security is guaranteed because it is isolated, while in other places it is not," explained to EFE Marco Gasparinetti, councilor of the civic list "Terra e Acqua", who had already proposed that place as the most suitable for the wedding. The day on Thursday, the start of the celebrations, was marked by protests from activist groups: from protesters dressed as brides with Venetian masks and banners against the American magnate, to paper figures that caricatured Bezos. The collective "No Space for Bezos", one of the most critical of the celebrations, projected this morning on the bell tower of San Marcos phrases such as "No kings, no Bezos, no oligarchs" or "Fck Bzs" with green laser, on the tower of more than 98 meters high. In addition, the artistic group Konn Artiss carried out a parody of the wedding in different parts of the city, placing mannequins covered in banknotes, caricatures of Bezos and Amazon boxes converted into toilets.
