By . Hannah Roberts . PUBLISHED: . 15:39 EST, 4 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:36 EST, 4 February 2014 . Venetians are up in arms over plans to build an Islamic centre on the banks of the lagoon city's Grand Canal. Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta announced plans to build the Islamic museum and study centre during a meeting with the Emir of Qatar. Letta, who is in the Middle East to drum up investment for Italy’s woe-begotten state industries, said the leaders had ‘made a commitment to explore the opportunity to build an Islamic museum in Venice on the Grand Canal.’ Venetians have voiced their concerns over plans to build an Islamic museum near the Palazzo delle Pescheria on the Grand Canal by the Rialto bridge (pictured) The centre is set to be housed in one of Venice’s most prestigious and beautiful vantage points, the Palazzo delle Pescheria on the Grand Canal by the Rialto bridge. The former prosecutor’s headquarters there has recently been vacated. Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta announced the plans during a meeting with the Emir of Qatar . The project has immediately met with . fierce resistance from Venetians, who say the money would be better . spent rescuing their city from sinking into the mud. Currently a third of the city including iconic St Mark's Square is under water after an unrelenting wave of rain across Italy. Governor of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, said he was ‘surprised that Letta has money to throw away' on an Islamic Museum, when Venice itself is at constant risk of collapsing into the sea. Massimo Bitonci, a senator in the anti-immigration Northern League party, said Italy needed the funding to tackle more pressing economic issues. He said: ‘Let me send the premier a clear message. 'We don’t want an Islamic centre in Venice. Letta would do better to concentrate on the economic crisis a instead of thinking about how to favour and spread Islam. He added: 'Frankly Venice needs our help in other ways. 'If there really is will and funding to promote new museums let us think of a project to promote Venetian culture and traditions.' Currently a third of Venice incluing iconic St Mark's Square is under water after a wave of rain across Italy . But Mayor of Venice Giorgio Orsoni said that bringing 'great cultural institutions of international (interest)' to Venice helped to draw in new courses of income to reduce the city's reliance on mass tourism. Mayor Orsoni said: ‘We have been working for months in close contact with the Emirates and Dubai who are interested in the realisation of the museum and ready to finance it. 'As well as hosting Islamic art collections and exhibitions, the centre is set to grow into a proper cultural centre with offering meetings, courses and conferences, he said.
Islamic museum planned near the Palazzo .
delle Pescheria on the Grand Canal by the Rialto bridge .
Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta .
announced plans during a .
meeting with the Emir of Qatar.
By . Hannah Roberts . PUBLISHED: . 15:39 EST, 4 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:36 EST, 4 February 2014 . Venetians are up in arms over plans to build an Islamic centre on the banks of the lagoon city's Grand Canal. Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta announced plans to build the Islamic museum and study centre during a meeting with the Emir of Qatar. Letta, who is in the Middle East to drum up investment for Italy’s woe-begotten state industries, said the leaders had ‘made a commitment to explore the opportunity to build an Islamic museum in Venice on the Grand Canal.’ Venetians have voiced their concerns over plans to build an Islamic museum near the Palazzo delle Pescheria on the Grand Canal by the Rialto bridge (pictured) The centre is set to be housed in one of Venice’s most prestigious and beautiful vantage points, the Palazzo delle Pescheria on the Grand Canal by the Rialto bridge. The former prosecutor’s headquarters there has recently been vacated. Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta announced the plans during a meeting with the Emir of Qatar . The project has immediately met with . fierce resistance from Venetians, who say the money would be better . spent rescuing their city from sinking into the mud. Currently a third of the city including iconic St Mark's Square is under water after an unrelenting wave of rain across Italy. Governor of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, said he was ‘surprised that Letta has money to throw away' on an Islamic Museum, when Venice itself is at constant risk of collapsing into the sea. Massimo Bitonci, a senator in the anti-immigration Northern League party, said Italy needed the funding to tackle more pressing economic issues. He said: ‘Let me send the premier a clear message. 'We don’t want an Islamic centre in Venice. Letta would do better to concentrate on the economic crisis a instead of thinking about how to favour and spread Islam. He added: 'Frankly Venice needs our help in other ways. 'If there really is will and funding to promote new museums let us think of a project to promote Venetian culture and traditions.' Currently a third of Venice incluing iconic St Mark's Square is under water after a wave of rain across Italy . But Mayor of Venice Giorgio Orsoni said that bringing 'great cultural institutions of international (interest)' to Venice helped to draw in new courses of income to reduce the city's reliance on mass tourism. Mayor Orsoni said: ‘We have been working for months in close contact with the Emirates and Dubai who are interested in the realisation of the museum and ready to finance it. 'As well as hosting Islamic art collections and exhibitions, the centre is set to grow into a proper cultural centre with offering meetings, courses and conferences, he said.
Minister Enrico Letta announced plans to build meeting with the Emir of Qatar. Letta, who is in plans to build an Islamic museum near the Palazzo delle Pescheria on the Grand Canal by the Rialto vacated. Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta announced the plans during a meeting with the