Venice, the Hall of the Four Doors at the Doge's Palace will be restored. One year of work and open construction site

Restoration work is scheduled to begin in mid-November on the Hall of the Four Doors in the Doge’s Palace in Venice, one of the most important rooms in the palace, a place of high representation, antechamber and link between the rooms where the supreme magistracies of the Republic met. And where there is a rich decorative palimpsest of architectural, pictorial and sculptural elements, designed by Andrea Palladio and Giovanni Antonio Rusconi; the characteristic barrel vault with golds and stuccoes largely executed by Giovanni Battista Cambi known as Bombarda; twelve wall paintings attributed to Jacopo Tintoretto (1577), and the famous polychrome marble stone portals that give the room its name, adorned at the top with sculptural groups evoking the functions of the governing bodies to which the entrances led, created by some of the great master sculptors active in Venice in the late sixteenth century, such as Alessandro Vittoria, Girolamo Campagna, Francesco Castelli and Giulio dal Moro.

This restoration constitutes a first chapter of the conservation works of the hall, expected to last one year. The intervention is made possible thanks to the important contribution of Save Venice, together with funds provided through the Art Bonus instrument. The expenditure forecast for this phase is approximately 710,000.00 euros. Specifically, the intervention will involve the four portals and the great ceiling involving, in addition to the work on the surfaces inside the room, the highlighting of the extradossal wooden structures that constitute the supporting framework of the great ceiling vault, in order to verify the efficiency of the suspensions and the origin of the degradation phenomena found on the pictorial and stucco surfaces.

Thanks to the use of digital technologies, visitors will be able to continue to see the works concealed by the scaffolding and be updated on the progress of the work throughout the duration of the construction site; the setting up of a visible restoration laboratory, an open construction site on the first floor along the Palazzo’s path, will also allow visitors to observe restorers at work on the wall decoration of the four portals of the hall.

“After the major interventions in the museums of Ca’ Rezzonico and Ca’ Pesaro,” says Mariacristina Gribaudi, president of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, “the new restoration project involving one of the treasures of the Doge’s Palace demonstrates, once again, the importance of the participation of businesses and private individuals in the care, enhancement and protection of our heritage, for the benefit of all. An endeavor made possible today by the efforts of the U.S. Save Venice committee and thanks to the Art Bonus; thus promoted by those modern patrons who are increasingly involved in projects that have a long and medium-term payoff. Investments for which the Civic Museums are always attractive, not only for the inestimable value of their collections but also for the recognition attested to Fondazione as a reality capable of materializing and enhancing the commitment of the companies involved.”

“For centuries, the Doge’s Palace in Venice has been the seat of a system of government known for its stability. Even today, this extraordinary building is one of the grandest in Europe from the medieval era, a true masterpiece that combines architectural mastery, painting and sculpture. Save Venice is proud to fund the restoration of this magnificent room in the heart of the palace,” said Frederick Ilchman, Chairman of Save Venice. “Our efforts were made possible through initial generous donations from Manitou Fund through Nora McNeely Hurley; Karin McKinnell Leidel & Peter Leidel; and The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice. Additional support was provided in memory of Carlton & Andree Vail by Meredith Brown, Trustee of the Vail Memorial Trust, and others.”

Image: Hall of the Four Doors. Courtesy Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. Photo by Matteo de Fina

Venice, the Hall of the Four Doors at the Doge's Palace will be restored. One year of work and open construction site

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