Venice in Peril Fund
Encyclopedia
The Venice in Peril Fund is a British
registered charity. It raises funds to restore and conserve works of art and architecture in Venice
, and to investigate ways to protect them against future risks, particularly rising sea levels. The Fund is also committed to ensuring the sustainability
of Venice, acting as a lobby and working to find answers to some of the critical ecological
, demographic
and socio-economic
issues that the city is facing.
The Venice in Peril Fund was created after the great floods in Florence
and Venice
in 1966. The disaster led to dozens of private citizens donating large sums of money and Sir Ashley Clarke, former British Ambassador to Rome and chairman of the British Italian Society at that time, was asked to chair a committee to raise further funds to help rescue the two cities. This committee was constituted as the Art & Archives Rescue Fund (IAARF) in 1967 and Sir Ashley was supported in his fundraising efforts by Carla Thorneycroft
(Italian-born wife of Conservative
MP
Peter Thorneycroft
, later Lord Thorneycroft), and Mrs Humphrey Brooke, wife of the Secretary to the Royal Academy
.
By the end of July 1967 it was decided that fund-raising activity for Florence should be wound down gradually and that efforts would be redirected to Venice where the serious damage had been to the structure of the city. In 1971 a new statute was drawn up to replace the IAARF with the trust fund Venice in Peril. John Julius
, Viscount Norwich, joined as Chairman in 1971.
Anna Somers Cocks became Chairman in 1999. She expanded the role of the charity to include research into the environmental and socio-economic threats facing the city.
The many successful fundraising efforts were helped enormously when, in 1977, Peter Boizot, the founder of Pizza Express
, invented the Pizza Veneziana. A percentage of the sale price of every Pizza Veneziana sold is donated to Venice in Peril and over thirty years later this initiative has raised more than £1,900,000. Venice in Peril is extremely proud of this partnership.
As of 2010, the Fund has completed 46 conservation and restoration projects in Venice, including the Gothic
Porta della Carta of the Doge's Palace. Three-quarters of its funds have been spent on religious buildings, including the late Gothic church of the Madonna dell'Orto
in Cannaregio
, the ancient Veneto-Byzantine
aisled church of San Nicolò dei Mendicoli
, and the 16th century Cappella Emiliani on the cemetery island of San Michele
. A new project is the restoration of a hydraulic crane inside the Arsenale, built by Armstrong Mitchell in Newcastle in 1883, one of only two remaining in the world.
The water level in the Venice has risen 23 cm since 1900, due to a combination of subsidence
and the level of the Venice lagoon
rising. Venice in Peril organised a symposium
in London
in 1998 to discuss the risk to low-lying cities, including Venice, as a result of rising sea levels, and funded the creation of a research fellowship at Churchill College, Cambridge
from 2001 to 2004 to investigate ways to protect Venice from rising sea levels. A conference was held in Cambridge
in 2003, and a book The Science of Saving Venice was published in 2004.
In 2010, Venice in Peril initiated a campaign in which it solicited the support of the leading museum directors of the world against the vast advertisements on the Doge's Palace
and down the Grand Canal.
A photographic tribute was produced by international artists in 2011 to support the fund.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
registered charity. It raises funds to restore and conserve works of art and architecture in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, and to investigate ways to protect them against future risks, particularly rising sea levels. The Fund is also committed to ensuring the sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
of Venice, acting as a lobby and working to find answers to some of the critical ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, demographic
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
and socio-economic
Socioeconomics
Socioeconomics or socio-economics or social economics is an umbrella term with different usages. 'Social economics' may refer broadly to the "use of economics in the study of society." More narrowly, contemporary practice considers behavioral interactions of individuals and groups through social...
issues that the city is facing.
The Venice in Peril Fund was created after the great floods in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 1966. The disaster led to dozens of private citizens donating large sums of money and Sir Ashley Clarke, former British Ambassador to Rome and chairman of the British Italian Society at that time, was asked to chair a committee to raise further funds to help rescue the two cities. This committee was constituted as the Art & Archives Rescue Fund (IAARF) in 1967 and Sir Ashley was supported in his fundraising efforts by Carla Thorneycroft
Carla Thorneycroft, Baroness Thorneycroft
Carla Thorneycroft, Baroness Thorneycroft, DBE, OM , , was the wife of Conservative Party politician and Chancellor of the Exchequer Peter Thorneycroft...
(Italian-born wife of Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Peter Thorneycroft
Peter Thorneycroft
George Edward Peter Thorneycroft, Baron Thorneycroft CH, PC , was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1957 and 1958.-Biography:...
, later Lord Thorneycroft), and Mrs Humphrey Brooke, wife of the Secretary to the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
.
By the end of July 1967 it was decided that fund-raising activity for Florence should be wound down gradually and that efforts would be redirected to Venice where the serious damage had been to the structure of the city. In 1971 a new statute was drawn up to replace the IAARF with the trust fund Venice in Peril. John Julius
John Julius Norwich
John Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO — known as John Julius Norwich — is an English historian, travel writer and television personality.-Early life:...
, Viscount Norwich, joined as Chairman in 1971.
Anna Somers Cocks became Chairman in 1999. She expanded the role of the charity to include research into the environmental and socio-economic threats facing the city.
The many successful fundraising efforts were helped enormously when, in 1977, Peter Boizot, the founder of Pizza Express
Pizza Express
PizzaExpress is a restaurant group with over 400 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 40 overseas in China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and the Middle East. It was founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot.In Ireland, PizzaExpress trades under the name Milano....
, invented the Pizza Veneziana. A percentage of the sale price of every Pizza Veneziana sold is donated to Venice in Peril and over thirty years later this initiative has raised more than £1,900,000. Venice in Peril is extremely proud of this partnership.
As of 2010, the Fund has completed 46 conservation and restoration projects in Venice, including the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
Porta della Carta of the Doge's Palace. Three-quarters of its funds have been spent on religious buildings, including the late Gothic church of the Madonna dell'Orto
Madonna dell'Orto
The Madonna dell'Orto is a church in Venice, Italy, in the sestiere of Cannaregio.-History:The church was erected by the now-defunct religious order, the "Humiliati" in the mid-14th century, under the direction of Tiberio da Parma, who is buried in the interior. It was initially dedicated to St...
in Cannaregio
Cannaregio
Cannaregio is the northernmost of the six historic sestieri of Venice. It is the second largest sestiere by land area and the largest by population, with 13,169 people as of 2007....
, the ancient Veneto-Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
aisled church of San Nicolò dei Mendicoli
San Nicolò dei Mendicoli
San Nicolò dei Mendicoli is a church in the sestiere or neighborhood of Dorsoduro in Venice. The islet where the original church was located, previously housed poor fishermen, hence the addition of mendicoli to the name of San Nicolò. From then on, the inhabitants were called Nicolotti...
, and the 16th century Cappella Emiliani on the cemetery island of San Michele
Isola di San Michele
San Michele is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy.Originally a prison island, Napoleon's occupying forces decreed that Venetians could not bury their deceased on any of the main Venetians islands, but only on San Michele...
. A new project is the restoration of a hydraulic crane inside the Arsenale, built by Armstrong Mitchell in Newcastle in 1883, one of only two remaining in the world.
The water level in the Venice has risen 23 cm since 1900, due to a combination of subsidence
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
and the level of the Venice lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
rising. Venice in Peril organised a symposium
Symposium
In ancient Greece, the symposium was a drinking party. Literary works that describe or take place at a symposium include two Socratic dialogues, Plato's Symposium and Xenophon's Symposium, as well as a number of Greek poems such as the elegies of Theognis of Megara...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1998 to discuss the risk to low-lying cities, including Venice, as a result of rising sea levels, and funded the creation of a research fellowship at Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College, Cambridge
Churchill College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.In 1958, a Trust was established with Sir Winston Churchill as its Chairman of Trustees, to build and endow a college for 60 fellows and 540 Students as a national and Commonwealth memorial to Winston Churchill; its...
from 2001 to 2004 to investigate ways to protect Venice from rising sea levels. A conference was held in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
in 2003, and a book The Science of Saving Venice was published in 2004.
In 2010, Venice in Peril initiated a campaign in which it solicited the support of the leading museum directors of the world against the vast advertisements on the Doge's Palace
Doge's Palace
The Doge's Palace is a gothic palace in Venice, northern Italy. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice....
and down the Grand Canal.
A photographic tribute was produced by international artists in 2011 to support the fund.