THE mayor of Venice says it's a good business deal. But businesses and the media are criticizing his plan to install Coca-Cola vending machines in their world famous city of gondolas, masked street performers and famously flooded streets. “Coca-Cola drinks up Venice,” La Stampa newspaper said in its online edition Monday. La Stampa said the five-year deal is worth $2.69 million. Venice's City Hall said the deal has not been signed yet and that the vending machines would not be installed in or near city landmarks such as St. Mark's Square or the Rialto Bridge. The deal envisages 38 vending machines at 14 stops used by water buses, city hall said. Four others will be installed near public restrooms in the Royal Gardens public park, and others inside unspecified buildings. Venice stretches across many small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy, and is considered one of the world's most beautiful cities. Most Venetians travel by motorized water buses. But Venice's estimated 20 million tourists a year often opt for the classic gondolas, and vending machines don't dot the sites they photograph. “I'm stunned at the controversy that is erupting over a partnership between the Venice City Hall and one of the largest and most prestigious brands in the world, Coca-Cola,” Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari said in a statement.
