Save Venice has restored more than 400 works of art and architecture in Venice.
Projects range from painting and sculpture to facades and mosaics. Pictured here is brief glimpse of some of these projects.
Every year, the Board of Save Venice, including a Projects Committee of renowned experts, selects restoration projects in collaboration with the Venetian Superintendencies of Monuments, Fine Arts and Museums. Historically, at any given time, Save Venice has had a major, multi-million dollar, multi-year project underway, as well as several dozen other smaller projects. Major projects have included the church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, and the facade of the Scuola Grande di San Marco.
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40 Years of Saving Venice
Why Should Americans Save Venice?
We are often asked why Americans should help restore art works belonging to the Italian government. The answer is that the Italians only hold these treasures in trust for all of us who descend from the Renaissance, and it is our shared responsibility to do what we can to help.
When we came to the New World, we did not renounce our cultural heritage. It is an essential part of who we are. It is one of the title deeds to our civilization. We do not want to see it deteriorate and disappear.
Per capita, Italy spends ten times more to preserve its patrimony than the United States. Its restorers are the most skillful in the world. They are extraordinarily dedicated to their work. They are tireless workers. They are paid a pittance. In Venice, Save Venice knows and loves them all.
Yet, there are too many treasures residing in Italy for the Italians to protect. The cost is simply too great. The Old World must look to the New for help. If it is not forthcoming, we will all see the treasures of our heritage fade. If they are gone, we will remember them as they were, but our children and theirs will only see them in books.
When we look on Titian’s The Presentation of the Virgin, we know that as long as that painting lives, the human spirit will never die. The Dark Ages are never far from us. It is up to all of us to preserve the light.
- Randolph H. Guthrie, Chairman Emeritus