Generali unveils the Procuratie Vecchie: here is the new home of The Human Safety Net in Venice
On April 8th, the famous St. Mark’s Square building, restored by the archistar David Chipperfield, opened its doors to the public for the first time in 500 years. From the traditional salute of “l’alzaremi” to the banners on the façade: all the events of the opening ceremony
A historic day for Generali and for the city of Venice. On Friday, April 8th, after extensive restoration carried out by David Chipperfield Architects Milan, the Procuratie Vecchie reopened its doors to the public for the first time in 500 years to host the activities of the Company and of its Foundation The Human Safety Net, which aims to unleash the potential of people living in vulnerable circumstances so that they can improve the living conditions of their families and communities.
In addition to the Foundation’s offices, the third floor (where the artistic direction was curated by Davide Rampello & Partners Creative Studio) features the exhibition “A World of Potential”, curated by Orna Cohen of Dialogue Social Enterprise. The experience is enriched by the presence of Atelier dell’Errore, presenting the exhibition “Chutzpah” within the Art Studio, while the new main staircases house an installation by the Italian sculptor Edoardo Tresoldi.
In line with the Generali tradition of exhibiting banners and tapestries on the Procuratie façades to mark the most important events, starting from the inauguration and for the following seven days, the architecture studio Migliore+Servetto has created an installation of 100 banners on the first and second floors of the Procuratie Vecchie façade on St. Mark’s Square. In addition to these, 22 banners with The Human Safety Net logos are located inside the building, in the Corte Maruzzi. All of the fabrics used to create the installation have been made with textile and recyclable fibers.
The Procuratie Vecchie opening ceremony opened in St. Mark’s basin with the salute of “l’alzaremi” by a flotilla of traditional boats from the Generali nautical circle. This tribute consists of placing the oars vertically, resting them on the bottom of the boat and raising them to specific commands. On their way back to the Procuratie for the ribbon cut, guests crossed the drawbridge that links the Royal Gardens to St. Mark’s Square, where they were greeted by an opera singer.
The focus then shifted to the Procuratie, where Simone Bemporad, Generali Group Communications & Public Affairs Director, introduced greetings by Gabriele Galateri di Genola, Chairman of Assicurazioni Generali, Philippe Donnet, Generali Group CEO, and the architect David Chipperfield. Dario Franceschini, Minister of Culture, Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto Region, Renato Brunetta, Minister of Public Administration, Massimo Garavaglia, Minister of Tourism, and Luigi Brugnaro, Mayor of Venice, also attended the event. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, sent best wishes through Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economy, and Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, who attended the ceremony by video-conference.
The partnership between Generali and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), presented by Emma Ursich, Executive Officer of The Human Safety Net, and Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, was also formalised. In the framework of the agreement, Generali commits to providing both technical and financial resources to UNDPs’ Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), UNDP's platform for the development and deployment of insurance and risk finance solutions to development, and part of UNDP's Sustainable Finance Hub.
Further details are available in the press release and accompanying Press Pack, as well as on https://thehomevenice.com.
