Death in Venice: Venetians to Stage Their Own Funeral

The clock is ticking for Venice, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, as the city's population slowly declines.

Is Venice is on the verge of becoming just a museum-tourist resort for the over 20 million tourists who swarm the place each year?

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One of the most populated cities in the world in the 16th century, now the number of residents has dropped to under 60,000 and with an average of up to 150,000 tourists visiting each day Venetians are feeling outnumbered and fear they will soon be squeezed out. A Venetian community group even has plans to stage a funeral for Venice to provoke officials into saving the city.

This jewel of a city, with its romantic views of canals, bridges and gondolas, has enough problems surviving as it slowly sinks into the Venetian Lagoon. That problem always seems to be put off and never properly tackled.

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Esteemed international experts somberly predict the city's demise while Venetians wring their hands in despair. A few of these even envision apocalyptical scenes of the last few "real Venetians" caged on show in Piazza San Marco or of gates clanging shut at night after the straggling tourists on their day-passes exit the artistic wonderland.

Venice's city hall sends out a continuous battle cry – "Stop the city from sinking! Stop the flooding! Stop the exodus of Venetians! Stop the old palazzi from crumbling! Stop the day trippers! Stop the rich foreigners buying up the palaces as investments! Stop the pigeons! Stop the beggars!" -- as it tries to raise more funds to save Venice and preserve its artistic heritage while desperately keeping in step with modern times.

It launched a public Wi-Fi system in July and in a baffling move has just announced that the city will formally bid for the 2020 Olympics.

But some Venetians feel not enough is being done to save the dwindling population and have started to take action.

Andrea Morelli's family has owned the pharmacy in campo San Bartolomeo which dates back to the 16th century in the heart of Venice for over a century. He has placed a "Venetian resident counter" in his shop window to get Venetians motivated.