Untold beauty

The renovation project for the Procuratie Vecchie on St Mark’s Square, Venice, is now about to start. The project, contracted by Generali to David Chipperfield Architects Milano, has been approved by the authorities and the Municipality of Venice. The restoration of the prestigious, monumental building, can therefore begin.

For the first time in 500 years, a large part of the Procuratie Vecchie will be made accessible to the public. The historic building will become the global home for The Human Safety Net, the initiative set up by Generali to support the most vulnerable communities in those countries where the Group is present.

The intervention is part of Generali's larger plan for the Marciana area, which also includes the Giardini Reali.

The interventions include the restoration of the first and second floors, the reorganization of accessibility and usability of the building through the inclusion of new staircases, the renewed central entrance on the third floor to include exhibition spaces open to the public and linked to The Human Safety Net Foundation, work spaces and an auditorium.

The complex of the Procuratie Vecchie owned by Generali includes about 12,400 square metres of total gross area which occupy approximately 85% of the total area of the portion of the building that closes the north side of Piazza San Marco, extending over 43 of the 50 external arches for a length of 152 metres.

The Chairman of Generali, Gabriele Galateri di Genola, and the GCEO, Philippe Donnet, explain: "The restoration and renovation of the Procuratie Vecchie will bring back to its original splendour one of the most beautiful places in Venice, known throughout the world. A place closely linked to the history of Generali, which shares the St Mark's Lion as a symbol, and which for the first time in 500 years will be open to the public through our The Human Safety Net initiative. The Project we are announcing today is part of the broader vision for the restoration of the entire Marciana area which we have promoted with pride and passion, and will foster new development opportunities for the city. A special thanks goes to all the authorities with whom we have had discussions in recent months, in particular the Superintendency and the Municipality of Venice, for having supported the launch of this project."

Luigi Brugnaro, Mayor of Venice, points out: "I really want to express my gratefulness to the Assicurazioni Generali and David Chipperfield Architects for having contributed to this extremely prestigious project, a perfect fit for the heart of the city of Venice, creating a working environment with professionals from all over the world. A fine example of public private partnership, conducted according to the principle of subsidiarity. This synergy has two fundamental aspects: it develops employment in the heart of the historic city and it is an investment of high social value. Venice is a symbol for Italy and, if we manage to demonstrate that we can offer young people a future in our city of Venice, we are sending a strong signal to the whole country.”

David Chipperfield says: "Working on this remarkable building with a Client so committed to Venice continues to be a great privilege. Over the last two years we have come to better understand and respect the complexities of the building hidden behind its grand public façade. In adapting the building to accommodate a more public programme for The Human Safety Net, we have sought to balance the infrastructural requirements with restoration and refurbishment of the historic fabric. We are driven by the ambition to both re-unify the architectural work, as well as the identity of the building as a place of work, meeting and discussion for the city.’’