Save Venice has launched a new conservation project in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari: the majestic 15th-century Funerary Monument to Doge Francesco Foscari. Standing along the right wall of the presbytery, adjacent to Titian’s celebrated Assunta, the monument is an elaborate synthesis of stone reliefs, freestanding sculptures, and frescoed draperies. At its heart rests the reclining effigy of Francesco Foscari, Venice’s longest-serving doge, sheltered beneath a canopy of honor and flanked by warriors, personifications of the virtues, and sacred figures. Above, saints, angels, and the Risen Christ preside, symbolizing the union of earthly glory with divine promise, while the whole is framed by a sumptuous display of heraldry and painted decoration.

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Today, this masterpiece is in urgent need of care. Its stone surfaces are darkened by layers of dirt and grime, obscuring the original details. The once-vivid gilding and polychrome decoration are fragile, with areas lifting, flaking, and detaching. Surrounding frescoes, heavily reworked over the centuries, also show signs of serious deterioration from rising damp, salt deposits, and rainwater infiltration—damage that threatens irreversible loss if not addressed.

The restoration will be carried out by conservator Egidio Arlango and his team, under the supervision of the Italian Ministry of Culture’s Venice office and the Patriarchal Diocese of Venice. Through this project, Save Venice reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding the city’s artistic heritage, restoring not only the beauty of the Foscari Monument, but also ensuring its preservation for generations to come.