Bezos, Venice, and the Eternal Stage of Italy’s Great Cities

The recent wedding of Jeff Bezos in Venice has once again spotlighted Italy’s timeless cities as the backdrop for the world’s wealthiest and most powerful. Yet the question lingers: are places like Venice, Florence, and Rome merely scenic stages for such events—or are they, in fact, the true protagonists?

Throughout history, emperors, kings, popes, and billionaires have been drawn to the aura of Italy’s eternal cities. Napoleon walked through Florence. The Medici turned it into a cradle of genius. Queen Victoria toured it with reverence. Even in modern times, figures from world politics to tech empires seek these cities for weddings, announcements, and symbolic milestones. But why?

There is something magnetic in the beauty of these places—something that transcends power, fame, and money. While the rich may momentarily dominate headlines, history teaches us that their legacies often fade. Names like Rockefeller, Getty, Onassis, or even Caesar have become footnotes or anecdotes. Only a few remain more than memories.

Meanwhile, the cities endure. Venice, suspended over the water like a dream. Rome, monumental and ever-evolving. Florence, with its golden light and endless beauty. They are more than locations—they are embodiments of continuity, culture, and human aspiration.

Perhaps this is the deeper reason why people like Bezos choose them. Not simply for their charm, but to graft themselves, however briefly, onto a longer story. To try, in their own way, to borrow a piece of eternity. Like commissioning a Renaissance portrait or building a palazzo, it’s an attempt to resist oblivion.

But no ceremony, no matter how lavish, has ever outshined the city that hosted it. And so, when Bezos becomes a passing name in a history book, Venice—like Florence and Rome—will still be there. Unmoved, unforgettable, eternal.