Research
PreserVenice has stayed true to its origins as an academic organization, pursuing the conservation and restoration of Venetian public art in a scientific manner.
Prioritization
How does PreserVenice decide which pieces are in the greatest need of preservation? Click here and find out!
Field Work
Students at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute have conducted field work with Venetian public art for over a decade. Using catalogs by Alberto Rizzi as a base, detailed condition assessments have been performed on every piece of outdoor sculpture in the city - 4,376 objects as of Fall 2007. This information is used to determine which objects are in the greatest danger of being destroyed, whether deterioration trends exist, and more.
Past field work has included groups of volunteers and students walking (and boating) down every street, alley, and canal in Venice and select lagoon islands to gather information, double-check past efforts, and update catalogs.
Sounds of Venice
One past project has involved the sounds of Venice, specifically those of its belltowers ("campanile"). Expanding our definition of "public art" to include the sounds produced by an art form (bell-making), recordings and photographs were taken from the top of belltowers throughout Venice.
Church Floors
Data has been collected on the artifacts contained within the floors of Venetian churches. Centuries of burials inside Venetian churches, besides contributing to several plagues, have deposited invaluable biographical and historical information inside Venetian houses of worship. This practice was halted for health reasons by Napoleon, leading to the creation of the San Michele cemetery, but the legacy remains to this day.
PreserVenice has catalogued the floors of many Venetian churches, although some are partially illegible due to centuries of foot traffic. This data can be used to predict the chances of finding archeological relics beneath floors when renovations are conducted, helping with price estimates and also with historical investigations.