More than 20 million travelers visit the opulent city of Venice per year and Piazza San Marco is probably where you’ll find most tourists snapping photos on the square outside of Venice’s longest building, the Procuratie Vecchie. Tourists who flock to the city’s square will be surrounded by the three connected buildings, but not all are opened to the public… just yet
After five centuries, Procuratie Vecchie (situated on the north side of the square) will undergo a massive restoration both inside and outside of the historic building by British architect, David Chipperfield. Chipperfield plans to have the 4 floors of 11,000 square meters completed by 2020. Once the project is finished, the Procuratie Vecchie Palace will finally be open to the public and will be a space dedicated to art exhibitions, seminars, installations and will be home to non-profit organization The Human Safety Net.
Procuratie Vecchie Palace, which was rebuilt after a fire in the 1530s, was exclusive to royals and politicians. It’s the oldest and largest of the three palaces on St. Mark’s Square — if you’ve been, you probably have a photo standing right outside. Thanks to the most recent occupant of 185 years, the Generali Group– an Italian insurance company, will be funding the Human Safety Net non-profit organization. The mission of the organization is to assist those who are dealing with refugee and poverty issues while connecting people from around the globe to help fight social and global issues.
We are grateful to the Venetian authorities for their support in this endeavour. Venice has long been a crossroads of different cultures from around the world, and we hope to build on this tradition through The Human Safety Net and our movement of ‘people helping people’. David Chipperfield Architects was a natural choice due to his love of Venice and shared vision for an architecturally and socially coherent restoration.” –Philippe Donnet, CEO of Generali Group
Chipperfield also has plans to include a hidden passageway between Piazza San Marco and the Royal Gardens. The existing gardens will be converted into a park located along the bank of the Grand Canal. Visitors will also have access to Procuratie Vecchie highest floors to view the infamous gondolas riding on the canal. But the most difficult part that goes into the restoration is that all old and new building materials must be transported only in barges through Venice’s canals going both ways to prevent damage to the historic city.
So, hang tight 2020 is just a few years away!
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