Italy: Christo’s “Floating Piers” close after a huge success

Christo’s famous “Floating Piers” on Lake Iseo, Italy, closed last week after a huge - and expected - success in terms of reviews and audience. The orange floating walkway on one of the most beautiful northern Italian lake attracted over 1.2 million visitors, and practically doubled the expectations.

As we have already mentioned in a couple of previous articles on WeVillas, The Floating Piers connected the two mini-islands of Monte Isola and San Paolo to the shore of Lake Iseo, through a three-kilometer undulating path made of 200,00 floating cubes covered in bright orange fabric. The visual effect was nothing less than spectacular, the emotional appeal indescribable for many visitors.

Even the artist himself, Christo, admits that “people come from everywhere to walk to nowhere. Not to shop, not to meet friends, they just walk - to nowhere”.

The Floating Piers were admired by over 1.2 millions of people coming from every corner of the world, and sometimes the area would be so crowded that it had to be closed, and the shuttle buses from nearby car parkings and trains from the city of Brescia were often suspended. The work of art attracted a daily average of 72,00 people, while the total amount of over one million was reached in only 16 days - a little more than two weeks. According to the public security and the Italian police, the round of visitors was about 100,000 per day.

The cost of the installation, all made of completely recyclable plastic, reached over 22 millions of dollars and yet the walkway was completely free to the public: Christo, according to the organizers, had financed the project himself through the sale of preparatory drawings and models.

Now, it is very possible that The Floating Piers will keep boosting the local economy, having a lasting impact on the future of the touring industry of the Lake Iseo area - which surely deserves a massive recognition for its unforgettable beauty.