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Restoration of cultural treasures a challenge
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CULTURAL landmarks in the Western world have also met with their fair share of disasters. Venice, one of the most precariously positioned cities in Europe, is no stranger to calamities. Perhaps the worst it experienced was a flood in 1966. In a tragic combination of high tides, heavy rain, and blustering winds, the city’s famous canals rose to over 1.8 meters in height, resulting in US$6 million worth of havoc being wrought on the city’s historic art and architecture.
The world was horrified at the extent of the flood’s devastation. As Francesco Valcanover, Venice’s Superintendent of Artistic Patrimony, said at the time, “the city aged 150 year years in one day.”
The flood revealed the city’s structures had been left to languish in terms of maintenance. A restoration of such massive proportions involved a herculean effort. Venice’s climate and surrounding agent’s were slowly poisoning the city. A UNESCO report showed sulfur from nearby oil refineries polluted the air, acting as a toxin to the marble, stone, and metal structures and sculptures throughout the city, corroding the later and leaving the former coated in a venomous black crust that slowly rotted them. Also, the salty air and water, coupled with high levels of humidity, had devastating effects on the city’s artwork.
The subsequent renovations were extensive and restoration was carried out according to a triage system, with the pieces in the most severe state of deterioration being restored first. Many buildings were saved piece by piece, paintings needed to be cleaned and repainted, and the marble floors of the church of Santa Maria e San Donato were removed so water pumps could be installed.
Restoration is a never-ending process for Venice; measures to alleviate the weather’s negative effects are still in progress. Over the years, the city has raised its foundations, adopted policies to decrease acid rain that envelops the city in pollution-laden downpours, and considered installing gates around the city to cut it off from the Adriatic Sea during high tides.
While the preservation of Venice may be a thankless job, it is absolutely crucial to preserving this cultural mecca of the Western world. Because of these efforts, the splendors of Venetian art and architecture can be enjoyed for many generations to come.
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