April 2016 News & Events
Restoration News
Church of San Sebastiano: Wooden Organ Loft
Restoration Completed

Wooden organ loft with doors closed,
after restoration.


Wooden organ loft with doors open, after restoration. Photos by Matteo De Fina
With the restoration of the painted organ loft, Save Venice has completed another phase in the multi-year campaign to restore the church of San Sebastiano and the decorative cycle of Paolo Veronese.

Over the past several months, Egidio Arlango and his team of conservators removed overpaint and grime, revealing colorful faux marble insets and unexpected hues on the wooden loft. Discolored varnishes and overpainting from previous restorations were removed from the four canvases that compose the massive organ doors. After undergoing conservation treatment, the organ pipes were reinstalled and the organ was tuned just in time to be played at a wedding in the church on March 12, 2016. View photos of the reinstallation process.

Save Venice thanks Andrés Santo Domingo for his generous gift in memory of his father Julio Mario Santo Domingo to restore the organ loft.

This spring work will begin in the presbytery with the restoration of the stone high altar, Veronese's altarpiece of the Madonna and Child in Glory with Saints, and two very large lateral canvases Veronese painted with scenes in the life of Saint Sebastian, thanks to the generosity of Richard and Nancy Riess
Save Venice and Friends of Florence Collaborate to Restore Works in Venice and Florence

Detail of Maestro di Badia a Isola,
Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels,
before restoration

Conservator Claudia Vittori consolidates an area of flaking paint with a special heated spatula
From the Monuments Men of World War II to the "Mud Angels" who rescued art and books in Florence and the art historians in Venice who responded to the November 1966 floods, Americans have played a substantial role in preserving cultural treasures in Italy. Save Venice Inc. and the Friends of Florence Foundation are collaborating to restore works of art in both cities in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the two great floods. Scheduled for unveiling in November 2016, the joint projects demonstrate the interconnected histories of art and preservation in Italy.

In Venice, the two organizations are collaborating to restore a painting in the Palazzo Cini Gallery from the early forteenth century, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels, by the Sienese painter known as the Maestro di Badia a Isola. After a diagnostic campaign that utilized infrared and ultraviolet photography, as well as pigment sample analysis, conservator Claudia Vittori consolidated areas of flaking paint, removed layers of darkened varnish and heavy overpainting from previous restorations. She is now filling losses with stucco before beginning the process of inpainting. The restoration is expected to be completed this summer.

In Florence, the organizations are restoring 48 drawings by eighteenth-century Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo in the Horne Museum. Recently, Boston Chapter Secretary Susan Angelastro visited Florence, and you can read her update on the restoration below.

Local press about the initiative:
Venezia Today
Il Giornale della Protezione Civile
The Florentine
The Art Newspaper

Detail of drawing by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, before restoration

Conservator inspects the binding of the volume of forty-four drawings
Due Righe da Firenze:

Dear Readers,
Save Venice and Friends of Florence are collaborating for the first time ever in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the November 4, 1966 flood. This was a devastating event for both cities.  It is a birthday of sorts for Save Venice, established soon thereafter to assist in much needed restorations of Venetian artwork. Our work continues and in this commemorative twin project, I am proud to provide you with an update of the Tiepolo drawings.
 
From San Niccolo' over the bridge of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Via dei Benci is the Museo Horne, once owned by Renaissance collector and art dealer, Herbert Horne. The museum owns a collection of drawings by Tiepolo - included in a book that is kept in an "astuccio" of brocaded blue velvet.  
 
While recently in Florence during a cold two weeks - maybe for this reason March is known as "marzo pazzo"! I had the privilege of meeting with the Director of the Museo Horne, Elisabetta Nardinocchi. After a Saturday morning visit of the museum, I spoke to the Dottoressa about the restoration project and her hope to eventually show the finished drawings.
 
The timing of my trip did not allow a viewing of the restoration in progress.  The work will commence in April and is expected to be done in November. The restoration will be completed in the laboratorio that is housed within the Museum. The eventual hope is that the completed set of drawings will be displayed and possibly travel to the US to be shown in NY, DC and Boston. 
 
More to follow in the months ahead.

Cari saluti to all,
Susan Angelastro, Secretary of the Boston Chapter Board
Ghetto 500 News
Opening Ceremony of the 500th Anniversary of the Jewish Ghetto of Venice
Opening ceremony and concert at Teatro La Fenice, March 29, 2016
The Jewish Ghetto of Venice was established on March 29, 1516 by decree of the Senate of the Republic of Venice. To commemorate this 500th anniversary, the Jewish Community of Venice and the Municipality of Venice formed the "500 Years of the Jewish Ghetto" Committee to promote a program of initiatives throughout 2016. Save Venice is proud to be a supporter of the Committee and these events.

On March 29, 2016, an opening ceremony at the Teatro La Fenice featured remarks from Paolo Gnignati (President, Jewish Community of Venice), Luigi Brugnaro (Mayor of Venice), Renzo Gattegna (President, Jewish Communities of Italy), Ronald Lauder (President, World Jewish Congress) and a keynote address by British historian Simon Schama. A concert of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1, directed by Omer Meir Wellber followed.

Save Venice is also proud to the support the exhibition Venice, the Jews and Europe: 1516-2016, on view at the Palazzo Ducale in Venice from June 19 to November 13, 2016.
Upcoming Events
New York
Sold Out

April 15, 2016
The Pierre, NYC




Boston
April 26, 2016

Frederick Ilchman, Chair of Art of Europe at the MFA Boston


All Boston lecture tickets must be purchased in advance at [email protected]
Venice
Research and Restoration Roundtables 
April 20, 2016
Ornella Salvadori, Laboratorio della Misericordia
Le Diagnostiche Applicate al Restauro: il laboratorio scientifico della Misericordia a Venezia
May 18, 2016
Patricia Fortini-Brown, Princeton University
A Death in Venice: the Forgotten Tomb of Alvise Della Torre
Roundtables are held at the Rosand Library and Study Center at Save Venice, Dorsoduro 870 , 30123, Venice RSVP at [email protected] or +39 041 528 5247 
Support Save Venice
Save Venice Inc. | www.savevenice.org
Save Venice Inc., based in New York with an office in Venice and chapters in Boston and California, has raised more than 25 million dollars to restore the art and architecture of Venice. Each year, the Board of Save Venice, including a Projects Committee of renowned experts, selects and oversees restoration projects in collaboration with the Venetian Superintendencies of Monuments, Fine Arts and Museums. Save Venice currently has numerous restorations underway throughout the city, made possible with support from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

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