Title: Church of San Sebastiano Artist: Paolo Veronese   Proposed Treatment: Conservation of decorative ceiling, repair and restoration of window encasings, followed by restoration of wall frescoes, marble-tiled floor and replastering of façade. The Church of San Sebastiano in Venice is one of the great monuments of Italian art. Constructed between 1505 and 1548, this attractive Renaissance church is situated in a quiet neighborhood at the southwest edge of the Dorsoduro district. Its fame, however, rests on the intact group of paintings on canvas and in fresco created by Paolo Veronese from 1555 to 1570. These include a set of ceiling canvases in the nave which recount the Story of Esther surrounded by elaborate carved frames and painted decoration, an elegant cycle of frescoes depicting the life of Saint Sebastian for the area of the monk?s choir, three paintings for the high altar, the church's organ shutters, further ceiling paintings in the sacristy, as well as several altarpieces and more frescoes on the lower walls. The extent of Veronese's accomplishment in one building is astonishing. San Sebastiano is Veronese's masterpiece, displaying in abundance the artist's painterly skill. In its ambition and extent, San Sebastiano occupies a place in Venetian art similar to Tintoretto's famous paintings in the Scuola di San Rocco, another "personal monument." Indeed, both Veronese and his brother Benedetto, a trusted assistant, are buried near the high altar of San Sebastiano. In January 2007, Save Venice Inc. pledged a multi-year effort to rescue the church of San Sebastiano, having already financed detailed studies in the church to determine the exact extent of the damage to Veronese?s decorative cycle and the causes of its deterioration. The project will begin with the conservation of Veronese?s decorative ceiling with its painted wooden panels, intricate frames, and three canvases, as well as the repair and restoration of the church?s window encasings in order to prevent rain infiltration from continuing to seep into the walls. This effort will require several teams of skilled technicians and conservators, complicated scaffolding, and continuous scientific analysis. Future phases of the restoration campaign will include conservation of Veronese's frescoes on the interior walls throughout the church, as well as the restoration of the marble-tiled floor and the replastering of the facade and exterior walls of the church to further protect Veronese?s masterpieces. It is expected that the restoration will result in major discoveries about Veronese's materials and working methods, as pre-restoration analysis has already revealed many surprises. Save Venice's project will preserve for future generations one of the great shrines of Renaissance painting, and one of the treasures of Venice. Title: Tiepolo Drawings of the Gatteri Album Artist: Giambattista Tiepolo   Medium: Red chalk on blue paper Completed Treatment: Removing old repairs and backings, dry cleaning to eliminate surface grime, mending tears and breaks, application of Japanese handmade paper hinges and mounting in museum quality folders for proper conservation and consultation Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770), Italy's greatest painter of the 18th century, was a very prolific draftsman. During his lifetime, he produced over 2000 drawings, many of which were organized in albums that he kept in the studio. In 1885 the Correr Museum received one of these albums through the bequest of the Trieste painter Lorenzo Gatteri (1830-84). The album contained approximately 90 leaves, to which 225 supplementary drawings were subsequently added. They are predominantly in red chalk on blue paper, a medium Giambattista Tiepolo used only very rarely. The album is therefore a very special and valuable object to be conserved. It contains sketches by both artists, father Giambattista and son Giandomenico. A substantial number of these studies can be linked with the Tiepolos' work in Würzburg, Germany where, over the grand staircase of the Würzburg Castle, they painted the largest continuous fresco in the world. Treatment of these drawings will include removing old repairs and backings, dry cleaning to eliminate surface grime, mending tears and breaks, application of Japanese handmade paper hinges and mounting in museum quality folders for proper conservation and consultation.   Title: Altarpiece of Saint Helen, c. 1430-7 Location: Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, room I Artist: Michele di Matteo (active in Bologna and Venice 1410-69)   Medium: Egg tempera and gold on wood Completed Treatment: Cleaning, stabalization, and consolidation of wooden support and frame, restoration of picture surface This magnificent altarpiece is the masterpiece of Michele di Matteo, one of the most distinctive gothic painters and a meticulous craftsman. For centuries this painting decorated an altar dedicated to Saint Helen (the mother of the Emperor Constantine) in the prestigious monastery of Sant'Elena, at the far eastern end of Venice. The altarpiece is now housed in the imposing first room of the Accademia Gallery, where it takes its place among the greatest paintings created in Venice. The polyptych, or multi-compartmental painting, features a tender Virgin Mary and Infant Christ in the center of the lower tier, flanked by Saints (from left to right: Lucy, Helen, Mary Magdalen, and Catherine of Alexandria). Under this last Saint is the artist's signature. An animated and heart-felt depiction of the Crucifixion occupies the center of the upper tier, and is flanked by the four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke. The predella, or lowest tier, features scenes of St. Helen locating the True Cross, and miracles caused by this relic. Episodes of the life of St. Helen are also the subject matter of three large ceiling canvases by Gaspare Diziani (1689-1787) that were restored by the Young Friends of Save Venice Boston with the proceeds from Carnevale 2002. Michele di Matteo's altarpiece has not received any attention since the 1970s, and needs the treatment to consolidate lifting paint and the elaborate original frame, and a cleaning of the fragile paint surface to restore the full delicacy of the individual scenes.   Location: Morosini Chapel, Church of San Francesco della Vigna Artist: Fre Antonio Falier da Negroponte (active second half of the 15th century)   Medium: Egg tempera on wooden panel Completed Treatment: Cleaning, stabalization, and consolidation of wooden support, restoration of picture surface This large altarpiece is one of the most extraordinary paintings produced in Renaissance Venice. Probably pained just before 1465, it is the only surviving work of Antonio Falier. The painter hailed from the Aegean island of Negroponte (present-day Euboea or Evvoia), which was for centuries a Venetian colony. The altarpiece combines the highly decorative patterns of gothic artists - seen particularly in the profusion of delicate birds, fruit and flowers - with the newer Renaissance tendencies visible in the massive throne based loosely on ancient Roman sculpture. Antonio's effusive, almost obsessive attention to detail is tempered by the elegant and calm figure of the Virgin Mary who commands the composition's center. The painting is one of the treasures of the important church of San Francesco della Vigna, a masterpiece of 16th-century orchitectural design by Sansovino and Palladio. The interior is studded with major works restored by Save Venice, including paintings by Veronese and Bellini, and sculptures by the Lombardo family. In 2003, Young Friends of Save Venice Boston sponsored the restoration treatment of the church's side portal. The Madonna and Child Enthroned required urgent treatment, particularly the cleaning of pollutants and grime on the picture surface and the stabilization of the complicated panel support. The completed restoration has not only ensured the long-term survival of the painting, but also permits worshippers and visitors to appreciate much of the workÕs original brilliance. Funded by Carnevale Boston 2004 Young Friends of Save Venice, Boston   Photograph before Treatment Location: Sacristy of the Church of San Salvador, San Marco Artist: Camillo Capelli, called "il Mantovano" (attributed)   Medium: Fresco Completed Treatment: Cleaning, consolidation, and integration of frescoes and surrounding architectural elements in Istrian stone. In the geographic center of Venice, the sacristy of the Church of San Salvador was frescoed in approximately 1546 in exquisite scenes of birds, flowers, and foliage framed with Istrian stone columns forming a series of false windows. The intention of the artist was to recreate a frescoed view into an imaginary garden beyond the sacristy, creating a sophisticated "outdoor" passage from the church to the adjacent monastery. Although traditionally attributed to Titian's brother Francesco Vecellio, it is now believed that the painter could be Camillo Capelli, called "il Mantovano," who created similar decorative works in Palazzo Grimani in Venice. On the ceiling of the sacristy is a fresco of Christ the Savior, also traditionally attributed to Vecellio, and now thought to be the work of a non-Venetian artist due to innovative composition atypical of Venetian works of that period. In the early 19th century Napoleon suppressed the monastery of San Salvador, which was in turn used by the Austrian government for military barracks. The sacristy frescoes were completely whitewashed over and not uncovered until the early 1900s. Due to their poor condition, the frescoes have gone relatively unnoticed for the past century. Paintstaking conservation procedures have cleaned, consolidated, and integrated the frescoes. Restored to their original beauty, the sacristy frescoes are a stunning example of Renaissance splendor in Venice. Funded by Carnevale Boston 2003 Young Friends of Save Venice, Boston Young Friends of Save Venice, New York Winston and Isabelle Fowlkes   Photograph before Treatment Location: Church of San Francesco della Cigna, Castello Medium: Istrian stone architecture and sculptural relief   Completed Treatment: Chemical analysis of the stonework was followed by restoration procedures to remove discoloration. The Istrian stone was consolidated with resins to prevent further cracking and breakage. A protective finish was applied to render the relief less permeable to rainwater and corroding elements. The wooden entrance door was reinforced and repainted. Church of San Francesco della Vigna The church of San Francesco della Vigna is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and called "della Vigna" after the vineyards on the land that Marco Ziani left to the Minor Friars of the Franciscan order in 1253. The church marks the spot where tradition says an angel appeared to St. Mark (during a voyage across the lagoon from Aquilea), greeting him with the words "Pax tibi Marce Evanglista meus" ("Peace be with you Mark, my Evangelist"). The angel's message foretold that the saint's body would come to rest in the new lagoon city, and these words became a phrase inscribed on the open book in all representations of the winged lion of Venice. Jacopo Sansovino began work on the church in a building campaign that began in 1534. Andrea Palladio design the facade in 1568-1572. Side Portal Restoration Project The side entrance of the church is a monumental doorway made in Istrian stone. Above the doorway is a sculptural relief of the Angel of the Annunciation and the Virgin Annunciate. Prior to restoration and further study, the attribution of the relief is unresolved. The work is sometimes attributed to Guglielmo Bergamasco, also known as Guglielmo deÕ Grigi Bergamino, which would date it between 1515 and 1530, the period he worked in Venice before his death. Jacopo Sansovino may have recycled the relief for his remodeled church after Guglielmo de Grigi's death. The relief has also been attributed to Sansovino himself (post 1534), but it is more likely that it was made by one of his followers or a member of his school. Two Istrian stone lion heads set in roundels decorate the side pilasters of the doorway. A third roundel centered on the stone doorframe above the wooden door to the church is strangely empty, its image roughly chiseled away. An inscription commemorates an Austrian bomb which struck the church during World War I. Funded by Carnevale Boston 2003 Young Friends of Save Venice, Boston   Photograph before Treatment