Proposed Treatment: Conservation of decorative ceiling, repair and restoration of window encasings, followed by restoration of wall frescoes, marble-tiled floor and replastering of façade.
Sponsor: Save Venice General Funds with support from the Thaw Charitable Trust and the Boston Chapter.

The Church of San Sebastiano in Venice is one of the great monuments of Italian art. Constructed between 1505 and 1548, this attractive Renaissance church is situated in a quiet neighborhood at the southwest edge of the Dorsoduro district. Its fame, however, rests on the intact group of paintings on canvas and in fresco created by Paolo Veronese from 1555 to 1570. These include a set of ceiling canvases (seen above) in the nave which recount the Story of Esther surrounded by elaborate carved frames and painted decoration, an elegant cycle of frescoes depicting the life of Saint Sebastian for the area of the monk's choir, three paintings for the high altar, the church's organ shutters, further ceiling paintings in the sacristy, as well as several altarpieces and more frescoes on the lower walls.  The extent of Veronese's accomplishment in one building is astonishing.

San Sebastiano is Veronese's masterpiece, displaying in abundance the artist's painterly skill. In its ambition and extent, San Sebastiano occupies a place in Venetian art similar to Tintoretto's famous paintings in the Scuola di San Rocco, another "personal monument." Indeed, both Veronese and his brother Benedetto, a trusted assistant, are buried near the high altar of San Sebastiano.

In January 2007, Save Venice pledged a multi-year effort to rescue the church of San Sebastiano, having already financed detailed studies in the church to determine the exact extent of the damage to Veronese's decorative cycle and the causes of its deterioration.

The project will begin with the conservation of Veronese's decorative ceiling with its painted wooden panels, intricate frames, and three canvases, as well as the repair and restoration of the church's window encasings in order to prevent rain infiltration from continuing to seep into the walls.  This effort will require several teams of skilled technicians and conservators, complicated scaffolding, and continuous scientific analysis. Future phases of the restoration campaign will include conservation of Veronese's frescoes on the interior walls throughout the church, as well as the restoration of the marble-tiled floor and the replastering of the facade and exterior walls of the church to further protect Veronese's masterpieces.  It is expected that the restoration will result in major discoveries about Veronese's materials and working methods, as pre-restoration analysis has already revealed many surprises.

Save Venice's project will preserve for future generations one of the great shrines of Renaissance painting, and one of the treasures of Venice. The church will remain open during restoration.