International Safeguarding Campaign of the City of Venice (1966, Italy)
Venice, with its surrounding lagoon, is unique. In this city on the water, where the idea of terra firma is meaningless, a thousand years has seen the creation of an extraordinary museum of architecture.
But this cultural and natural heritage is very seriously threatened. The image of a beautiful romantic city was shattered on 4 November 1966, when torrential rain devastated the north of Italy and flooded both Venice and Florence on a scale never seen before. The damage was enormous. The cruel toll in human lives, and the physical destruction, were compounded by damage to thousands of works of art.
The sight of the neglected state into which the heritage of the city of the Doges had fallen shocked the international community. The General Conference of UNESCO, which was meeting at the time, decided that its Director-General, René Maheu, should launch in its name an appeal for international solidarity.
This generous movement is still going strong, and 30 years later, there is unanimous agreement on the successful results both of the technical achievements and of international cooperation.But Venice still needs attentive care, and its continued survival depends on our unflagging vigilance.
News (3)
- UNESCO Director-General receives the Mayor of Venice Tuesday, 24 January 2017
- From the emergency to the restoration of cultural heritage: stories and images from the Venice archives Friday, 25 November 2016
- 50 years after the Venice flood, UNESCO Director-General renews commitment to the World Heritage City Friday, 4 November 2016
Related Activities
- Restoration of a Terraced House in Cannaregio
- Restoration of the Cappella Emiliani
- Restoration of the Nativity's painting in the Basilica S. Giorgio Maggiore
- Restoration of the Painted Crucifixion group in wood
- Restoration of the ancient Artiglierie building in the Arsenale
- Restoration of Cappella Sagredo, with frescoes by Tiepolo, painting of the "Holy Trinity" by Leandro Bassano and the gilded wood throne
- Restoration of the altars of Church of San Rocco and Basilica on Torcello
- Restoration of the Cappella Clary, Church of San Trovaso
- Restoration of Lorenzo Bregno's Funeral Monument
- Restoration of the Querini Stampalia Foundation
- Restoration of the Sottoportico dell' Angelo
- Maintenance of restored Church S. Maria del Giglio
- Arco del Paradiso
- Restoration of Santa Maria dei Miracoli
- Restoration of the Ancient Jewish Cemetery
- 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
- Restoration of the Cappella Badoer-Giustinian, image of the Madonna dell'Umilità and Statue of St. Louis of Toulouse
- Façade of Santa Maria del Giglio
- The decoration of the Portego of the Querini-Stampalia Palace
- Restoration of the frescoes in San Salvador et Gesuiti Churches