Two exceptional restorations are underway at the Palazzo Ducale: the monumental Scala dei Giganti and the painting Abduction of Europe, a work by Paolo Veronese. These interventions on works that symbolize the Palazzo Ducale are made possible by Save Venice, the American non-profit organization dedicated to protecting Venice's artistic and cultural heritage, together with their committed supporters comprising businesses and private individuals.
These interventions reflect the growing involvement of contemporary patronage oriented toward supporting medium and long-term projects. This affirms the ability of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia to attract investment for heritage conservation, while also highlighting the contribution of businesses and benefactors who choose to invest in protecting the city.
The Scala dei Giganti: a preventive conservation project in Venice
Once the Doge's private entrance to his apartments and a scenic corridor for welcoming embassies visiting the Palace, the Scala dei Giganti was built at the end of the fifteenth century (1486–1497), designed by Antonio Rizzo, and named after Jacopo Sansovino’s Mars and Neptune sculptures. It is one of the most valuable structures in the inner courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale and defines its Renaissance façade.
Due to its fragile structure composed mainly of crystalline marble, the staircase has already been the subject of two restoration campaigns over the past forty years. Unfortunately, it continues to periodically show signs of deterioration whose causes are not yet entirely clear. The deterioration may be linked both to the materials used in previous restoration work and to changing environmental and climatic factors. This has given rise to the need for a pilot project to analytically investigate the origin of these phenomena and to define, in practical terms, an effective intervention protocol for future regular maintenance.
The work now underway on the monumental staircase is therefore a cutting-edge scientific laboratory, aimed at achieving results not only for the restoration of this monument at the Palazzo Ducale, but that can also be applied to similar structures throughout the city. The investigations will last approximately six months and will be conducted during the milder season; at the end of the following winter. Once the effectiveness on the sample surface treatments has been verified, it will be possible to proceed with scheduling the interventions according to the tested methodologies.
The diagnostic phase, supervised by CNR ICMATE of Padua, will also indirectly provide useful results for interpreting environmental changes and their impact on historic building materials, allowing important comparisons to be made with other sites.
The estimated cost for this phase is approximately 96,000 euro. The project is funded by Save Venice Inc. and the Fondazione Save Venice–ETS, with the support of The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice.
Abduction of Europe: a masterpiece restored in a didactic open worksite
Visitors to Palazzo Ducale can observe the restoration of Paolo Veronese’s masterpiece, the Abduction of Europe, thanks to a didactic open worksite, in the so-called Liagò, just before the Sala del Maggior Consiglio.
This open worksite offers the rare opportunity to watch the various stages of the conservators’ complex treatment as it unfolds over the next six months, allowing the public to better understand the techniques used to preserve such an important artwork.
The intervention underway is aimed at removing the varnishes applied during the 1971 restoration, which have since deteriorated and clouded the painted surface. The cleaning will reveal the brilliance of Veronese's color palette and re-establish the painting's correct chromatic balance. This will be followed by the pictorial reintegration of small losses and the application of a final varnish, essential to ensure proper protection of the surface and full legibility of the painting. The restoration has been funded by Save Venice Inc. with the generous contribution of Rebecca Nemser.
