Funding Restoration- the Venetian solution

To restore even the smallest flat in Venice is a long and therefore expensive job. Just imagine the expense of the restoration of the buildings in St Mark's Square.

Many years ago whilst the Torre dell'Orologio- Clock Tower-was in the process of restoration, the front of the  the building was covered with photo replica. The watchmakers Piaget contributed £150,000.00 to the restoration. Their advertising was discrete. 

The Clock Tower being restored  behind it's fabric facade

(Wikipedia)

This year two much larger restoration projects are are in progress. 

In the Piazzetta,  a vast ad for "Swatch" watches covers  Sansovino's Biblioteca Marciana  the Bridge of Sighs is now framed by a huge blue ad for Chopard timepieces. Indeed, the east side of the Doge's Palace is also covered with the blue of the advert. Chopard have converted  the  Ponte dei Sospiri into " the Cielo dei Sospiri"

 

 "ll Cielo dei Sospiri"

More of this type of advertising is to come.

According to Venice in Peril, many more of Venice's public building are up for grabs.

"The agencies dealing in mega-advertising locations have realised they can exploit a recent change in the law to sell space there and make a large profit, yet they still get  called sponsors by the authorities. This law allows the scaffolding on public buildings under restoration to carry advertising so long as the local Superintendent considers that it does not “detract from the appearance, decorum or public enjoyment of the building”—a condition that is clearly not being taken seriously at present."

Indeed, the Superintendent in charge of  approving this advertising,  Doctor Renata Codello  boasts that she has been discriminating, refusing an advert showing an entire Italian football team dressed only in their shorts!

The advertising agency, Plakativ Media, who flog off these sites, have already negotiated a deal with Dr. Codello for the Museo Correr.

 The Correr covers the entire west side of St Mark's Square and  Plakativ are paying €3.5 million to restore the museum in exchange for 240 sq metres of advertising.According to Plakativ's website

 St Mark's Square is a site of immense historical architectural importance with a footfall of  30 million a year and associated extended dwell time.

It's easy to mutter cultural vandalism when you see mega advertising stuck on the front of wonderful buildings, but the last word must go to Dr Codello.

“I have no choice: last year some of the marble facing of the Doge’s Palace fell down; this year it was a bit of the cornice of the Correr Museum.Under law I am personally responsible if a tourist is hurt. With the cuts to the funding of our ministry [25.8% in 2009], I can expect no help from government.”

Anyway, I rather like Il Cielo dei sospiri.
 

Comments

[Account Deleted]

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[Jone]

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[Robert]

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