Italy: Association of the International Private Committees for the Safeguarding of Venice honoured
The Association of the International Private Committees for the Safeguarding of Venice received the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award 2018 at a ceremony held on 13 September at the magnificent setting of the Doge’s Palace, a distinctive landmark of the city of Venice. Some 140 people convened at the Sala del Piovego to celebrate the great and long-term commitment of 21 organisations from 11 countries in Europe and beyond to the safeguarding and restoration of Venetian monuments, historical artefacts and archives. Europa Nostra was represented by its Secretary General, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović.
Established in 1987, the Association has been able to coordinate the efforts of UNESCO, the Italian authorities and its own Members for the safeguarding and rehabilitation of Venice’s cultural heritage. The Association has coordinated the activities of 21 committees from 11 countries – Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States – and has represented them in relations with third parties.
Representatives from the State and local officials acknowledged the successful collaboration with the Members of the Association, which is almost surely the first public-private partnership at international level to exist since 1966, the year of the heavy flood that badly damaged Venice.
The EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award was presented to Lady Frances Clarke, who was among the first persons to arrive in Venice to give her support to the flooded city. The ceremony participants gave her a standing ovation for her continued and passionate commitment to the preservation of Venice’s outstanding cultural heritage.
Europa Nostra’s Secretary General Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović paid tribute to all members of the Association of the International Private Committees for the Safeguarding of Venice and in particular to Lady Frances Clarke. The Association has carried out almost 800 projects in Venice and has continuously raised international awareness of various problems in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, calling on the international community to take action.
Among the representatives who also addressed the audience were Umberto Marcello del Majno, President of the Association of the International Private Committees for the Safeguarding of Venice, Emanuela Carpani, Superintendent for Venice, Luciana Colle, Deputy Mayor of Venice, Silvio Gonzato, Director of Institutional Affairs at the European Service for External Action, and Rossana Bettinelli, Board Member of Europa Nostra.
