Venice, the Procuratie Vecchie open to the public for the first time

In Venice, the Procuratie Vecchie in St. Mark’s Square open to the public after a five-year renovation by David Chipperfield Architects Milan. The initiative, realized by Generali Group, enjoys the patronage of the Ministries of Culture and Tourism. This is the first time the Procuratie Vecchie has opened to the public.

In the building, one of Venice’s most famous monuments, built five hundred years ago to house offices and businesses right next to St. Mark’s Basilica (the Procuratie Vecchie were finished in 1538 and extend along the entire north side of the basilica), will have home to Generali’s The Human Safety Net initiative, which aims to unlock the potential of people living in vulnerable conditions so that they can improve the living conditions of their families and communities. The third floor, on the other hand, hosts the exhibition A World of Potential, curated by Orna Cohen of Dialogue Social Enterprise. The exhibit aims to give visitors a personalized experience of The Human Safety Net, its purpose and work on behalf of the disadvantaged in 23 countries. The exhibit also helps visitors connect with personal potential by exploring their own character strengths, allowing them to see the best qualities in the people around them. The experience is enhanced by the presence of theAtelier of Error, which presents the exhibition ’Chutzpah’ inside the Art Studio.

At the other end of the building, The Hall, on the other hand, is the new auditorium that will host international symposia, conferences and events that have sustainability goals as their mission. It will aim to become a place to amplify global dialogue about the issues The Human Safety Net works on: early childhood development, parenting, social impact, inclusion, and social entrepreneurship. At the center of the third floor, The Hub, on the other hand, will be the co-working space where The Human Safety Net teams, partner NGOs, program beneficiaries, and volunteers can meet and collaborate with a common purpose, as well as having The Café, the café also open to the public that will frequent the third floor and is managed by Illy. Art direction for the third floor is by Davide Rampello, of Rampello & Partners Creative Studio. Interior design, layout, graphics and multimedia are by Migliore+Servetto. Generali will also maintain its representative offices in the building, as well as existing private businesses, cultural institutions and foundations.

The Procuratie Vecchie will be open to the public Wednesday through Monday (10 a.m. to 7 p.m., last entry at 6 p.m.). Visitor information is available on The Human Safety Net website. Half of the cost of each ticket will go to support The Human Safety Net program of the visitor’s choice. Full price ticket 12 euros, reduced price ticket over 65 9 euros, special reduced price ticket for students, children from 10 to 18 years old, non-accredited journalists, law enforcement officers, accompanying Generali Group employees and agents, and school groups 7 euros. Free for children under 10, people with disabilities with 1 accompanying person, Generali Group employees and agents, residents of the City and Metropolitan City of Venice (until 31/08/2022), licensed tour guides on Venice.

The statements

“The reopening of the Procuratie Vecchie,” says Philippe Donnet, group CEO of Generali, “represents a historic moment for both the local and international community. Five centuries later, this iconic, world-renowned palace also reclaims part of the Procurators’ original mission: to help the most vulnerable in society. This becomes the home of our initiative The Human Safety Net, and will be a place for dialogue and exchange of ideas to overcome the major social challenges of today’s world and inspire visitors to take action to unlock the potential of people living in vulnerable conditions. A space open to all, which also fully supports the project of making Venice the sustainability capital of the world. There could not have been a better way to end the celebration of Generali’s 190th anniversary, which began last year and was made even more special today by the announcement of our partnership with the United Nations Development Program. I thank all those who have made it possible to reach this extraordinary milestone in the Group’s history.”

“We are grateful to Generali and the city of Venice for giving us the extraordinary opportunity to work on the Procuratie Vecchie project,” says David Chipperfield. “Repairing, reuniting and adapting the many layers of this historic structure has been a complex and rewarding challenge that reconnects us with the power of architecture both as physical substance and as a collaborative process. We look forward to seeing the building reintegrate into the city and support Venice as a living place of activity and innovation.”

“The design of the new Procuratie in St. Mark’s Square demonstrates how cultural heritage can be successfully preserved, protected and enhanced by grafting quality contemporary architecture,” says Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, who attended the ceremony to present the restoration of the Procuratie Vecchie in Venice. “This is one of the taboos we most need to overcome in Italy. Recognize that part of the beauty of our art places lies in the overlap of styles between them: the Middle Ages over the Roman Empire, the Renaissance over the Middle Ages, the Baroque over the Renaissance. Over the centuries in Italy everything has blended and overlapped and it is evident from the architecture of our churches and palaces. This process, however, came to a halt in the Second Postwar period when we were persuaded that the intervention of quality contemporary architecture was almost a disregard for the need to protect the architectural heritage. That decision was wrong because, instead, one can graft arty art with contemporary art, even in historic centers, when the intervention is done well, as in the recovery and restoration project carried out here at the Procuratie Vecchie in Venice.”

Venice, the Procuratie Vecchie open to the public for the first time

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