Restoration of the German Synagogue, the façade of the former Scuola Grande di San Marco, a cycle of fifteenth-century frescoes and digital catalogues of the City Hospital's historic collection

During the year 1999, Save Venice Inc.passed from the planning to the execution phase of the restoration of the German Synagogue, but even after full-scale preparatory surveys and tests the Superintendency is already having to cope with the unforseeable consequences of the intricacies and improvisations that characterized building practices in the Ghetto over the centuries; and with the fact that, as elsewhere in the city, the monumental overlaps and intersects constantly with the residential.

The American committee has guaranteed the finance required for further analysis and research on the façade of the former Scuola Grande di San Marco, now the City Hospital.

A full photogrammetric survey was completed in 1999 and as soon as scaffolding can be erected, the remaining tests will be carried out and plans finalized for the restoration proper. Following similar exhaustive preliminary studies, the exemplary restoration of a cycle of fifteenth-century frescoes in the chancel and apse of the Church of San Samuele is now well advanced and 2000 should also see completion of work on the elegant Cappella Gussoni in the Church of San Lio. Of the two exquisite Renaissance altars by Antonio Rizzo in St. Mark's Basilica, the one dedicated to St. Paul was completed by Christmas and the other, dedicated to St. James, will be finished early in the Jubilee Year, as will the restoration of panel paintings and frescoes by Pordenone, belonging to the Church of San Rocco.

Save Venice continued to use funds provided by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation to create computerized catalogues of the City Hospital's historic collection of books and manuscripts and of historic parish archives (those of the Parishes of S. Angelo Raffaele and S. Nicolò dei Mendicoli were completed in 1999 and S. Felice is already scheduled for next year). In all cases the intention is that the catalogues should be made available on-line to scholars everywhere.

Organisation / Secteur / Bureau leader: Save Venice Inc.