Venice has not finished revealing its secrets.
For the first time in 500 years of history, the huge Palace of the Old Procuraties, which borders Saint Mark's Square and the farm on the north side, has been welcoming visitors since Thursday, after colossal renovation work.
Project manager of this transformation of an area of 12,000 m², the English architect David Chipperfield was commissioned by the Italian insurer Generali, owner of the
palazzo
, to breathe new life into this iconic building.
The
Procuratie Vecchie
now welcomes its visitors in a hybrid space between café, exhibition space, conference room... Headquarters of the Human Safety Net foundation, it has become a new meeting and culture point for the Serenissima.
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In mid-April, the building is adorned with silky flags, as in the past during the great Venetian celebrations.
On the brightly colored fabrics, no more winged lion but a series of black and white faces.
They are the actors of the network of Human Safety Net, a foundation active in twenty-three countries, now housed in the sumptuous building punctuated by arcades, where the senior magistrates once had their homes and offices.
On April 8, for the opening reserved for the only inhabitants of the city, the Venetians had answered the call: in seventy-two hours, 3,000 people walked the ground of this place steeped in history and remained so long secret.
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Roof terrace
The 12th century building, destroyed by fire in 1512, was succeeded in 1538 by the Palazzo Renaissance, adorned with three levels of elegant arcades, which we admire today.
Its renovation required more than three years of work.
“The building had been abused for a very long time, decorations were removed, stairs, elevators and bathrooms added, in a very disorderly way.
Our responsibility was to restore a certain integrity to it
,” says architect David Chipperfield.
On the third floor, in the attic, the visitor discovers a series of small rooms linked together by a long corridor with hypnotic arches.
In a very Venetian spirit, the materials used reflect craft traditions.
On the floor, pastellone, a mixture of lime and marble powder or terrazzo, on the arches of the corridor, a marmorino coating, with a satin finish.
“It was essential to collaborate with local artisans and suppliers, using techniques and materials that are part of the Venetian tradition”
, supports Cristiano Billia, associate director of David Chipperfield Architects Milan.
Ultimate surprise, the terrace on the roofs offers a new perspective on the city.
From this perch, from where you can see the domes of Saint Mark's Basilica, you can hear the music of the orchestra in the square and watch the gondolas come and go on the Orseolo basin below.
open house
“Human Safety Net aims to help vulnerable individuals, including refugees, to fulfill their potential. In the same way, during the exhibition, the visitor will discover what his strong point is, through a series of rooms presenting interactive experiences
, ”explains to
Figaro .
Emma Ursich, director of the foundation.
Thanks to a personal card, the visitor activates a series of readers placed in the museum.
He accesses a series of experiments, which explore one of the 24 strong points composing the human character, defined by the American psychologist Martin Selingman, for example concentration.
It's up to us: sensor on the forehead, we have to focus on an image to move a polystyrene ball placed in a tube.
Further on, we are invited to collaborate with other visitors by turning a series of cranks.
If we manage to coordinate our movements, an explosion of butterflies appears on a screen.
"The exhibition is thought of as a great metaphor for the values of Human Safety Net"
, translated Emma Ursich.
In addition to these rather technological rooms, the foundation has dedicated a space to artists, temporarily invested by the collective L'atelier dell'Errore (the workshop of error).
Finally, the café and its library aspire to create a meeting place and exchange between visitors or members of the foundation who come to work in rooms that are also open to the public.
Useful information
Piazza San Marco, 119. Admission price: €12 (reduced €9/7).
Half of the ticket price is donated to an NGO chosen by the visitor at the end of the exhibition.
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The palace of the Old Procuratie, jewel of Venice, regains its splendor