Italian
An excellence not only in aviation
Venice – A little gem lies hidden among the beaches of the Lido of Venice: Nicelli Airport.
The Giovanni Nicelli Airport is located in the prestigious setting of the Lido of Venice, on the northern side of the island, just ten minutes by boat from the city center. The air terminal, a perfectly preserved example of 1930s architecture, was begun in 1926 and officially inaugurated on February 4, 1935, making it the oldest commercial airport in Italy.
Its terminal is in fact the only one in Italy to have remained unharmed by the bombings of World War II. For this reason, a few years ago, the FAI (Italian National Trust) organized guided tours during those periods of the year when hidden or rarely accessible places are opened to the public. Today, the building stands as a testimony to the typical architectural style of 1930s air terminals, and it was even used as a movie set in the 1980s.
Actors and celebrities, on the other hand, land here today with their private jets: George Clooney, Replay’s owner Renzo Rosso, and many others.
Unfortunately, the airport began to decline in the 1950s; all the airlines that operated there moved, first to Treviso (1953), and then to the new Tessera Airport (1960). In 1974, the Aeronavali workshops were also transferred to Tessera. For years, the airport remained active only thanks to the local Aeroclub.
But history with a capital “H” passed through this place: here, in June 1934, Hitler and Mussolini met, and even earlier, on March 11, 1918, the Lido witnessed the birth of the 1st Naval Air Torpedo Squadron (1ª Squadriglia Navale Siluranti Aeree), commanded by writer and Major Gabriele D’Annunzio, who remained until the autumn of 1919.
The Venice-Lido “Giovanni Nicelli” Airport (formerly known as Venice-San Nicolò Airport) is located on the northern side of the island of Lido di Venezia.
But who was Giovanni Nicelli? He was a highly decorated soldier and aviator, a fighter ace credited with 8 (or 9) aerial victories during World War I. After the end of the conflict, his record was reviewed by Italian military intelligence and officially reduced from nine to eight.
The grass runway measures 994 × 45 m, with orientation 05/23. The airport also has a heliport, with a grass landing area of 25 × 35 m. In fact, Pope Francis landed here during one of his visits to Venice. These days, it also serves as a support base for the Frecce Tricolori air squadron, which will fly over for the opening of the Venice Boat Show and then head directly to Rome for rehearsals ahead of the June 2 Republic Day parade.
It is worth remembering that in 2014 the airport was ranked among the world’s ten most beautiful by the BBC, curated by Jonathan Glancey. Easily reachable by taxi, taxi-boat, ferry-boat, vaporetto, or bus, it definitely deserves a visit.
Moreover, with its elegant interiors, large gardens, and spacious outdoor terraces, it also stands out as an ideal venue for meetings and conferences, dinners and private events, exclusive parties, art exhibitions, and film shoots.
