Venice has given permission for one of its most famous buildings on the Grand Canal to be converted into a Benetton ‘megastore’ amid fierce protest from conservationists. The Fondaco dei Tedeschi, a 13th century palazzo, was bought by the international clothing retailer for 53 million euros in 2008.

Despite promising to spend millions to restore the crumbling facade, the company faced strong opposition from heritage campaigners who claimed it would damage Italy’s ‘historical identity’.

According to the Dailymail, thousands of tourists stop every day to take photos of its magnificent facade, once painted by 18th century landscape artist Canaletto.

Benetton have enlisted the services of Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas to turn it into a shopping centre and public area inside the building’s 10,000 square metres of floor space.