The Venice Blog

This 19th century house in the Piscina San Samuele (San Marco 3427, half way between Campo San Stefano and the Traghetto) was recently renovated. After the removal of the scaffold some days ago, it appears in a lurid red without any respect for important neighbours such as the gothic Querini and Pisani palaces. Note especially the insane treatment of the round arches painted all over, while only the middle pillars and the loggia cornice were left white. The fettlers’ work is sleazy, and the plaster already has first signs of decay.

As always, there are, apart from the owner of the house, three culprits: the architect (responsible for the choice of plaster and colour, and for the lack of supervision), the Soprintendenza, which is responsible for the preservation of monuments (for accepting the architects’ choice, and for the lack of supervision as well) and the City of Venice (for approving the architect’s project, and for the lack of obligatory restoration guidelines).

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the November 04, 1966 flood, which did not only destroy numerous works of art in Florence, but also led to a severe damages in Venice, the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti organized a encounter entitled 1966-2006 - Memorie dell’alluvione, which took place at Palazzo Franchetti on October 24. Mayor Massimo Cacciari was not seen. The Venetian section of Italia Nostra issued the text “La lenta agonia di Venezia” by Indro Montanelli.
Despite the concise and informative lectures of Lady Frances Clarke (Venice in Peril) on the work of the private committees for the safeguarding of Venice, and professor Francesco Valcanover, former head of the Soprintendenza and contemporary witness, the event could not fully satisfy. While three old documentaries where shown, virtually no relationship to current problems was established.

(Reported by the Gazzettino on Oct. 21 and 22)