When we were in the beautiful city on one of our enjoyable visits several years ago, we could see many tourists taking photos while their heads and shoulders were covered with flapping pigeons. There were vendors all around the crowded gathering place of Piazza San Marco selling little cups of feed for the tourists to use in attracting the birds.

Those typical Piazza scenes won’t be happening any more. The city fathers of Venice have determined that the messy birds leave too much of what pigeons always do throughout the Piazza, and on many people’s heads and clothing. The new law bans vendors from selling pigeon feed on the Piazza and forbids everyone from feeding the messy birds there.