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Save Venice is pleased to announce the launch of a joint partnership with the Venice in Peril Fund of London to fund the conservation of Torcello Cathedral’s Iconostasis, in memory of our beloved Honorary Director, John Julius Norwich (1929–2018). Lord Norwich, an eminent historian and writer, was a great friend and supporter of both organizations, and his inspiring love for Venice lives on through his prolific publications on Venetian history and art. This particular project was selected to honor John Julius’s lifelong devotion to Venice and Byzantium.

Save Venice is currently seeking sponsors for this major campaign. Please contact us if you would like to make a contribution for the Iconostasis restoration, in memory of John Julius Norwich. 

The Veneto-Byzantine church of Santa Maria Assunta on the island of Torcello is the oldest surviving structure in the Venetian lagoon, dating to 639. The Basilica was partially reconstructed in 1008 and is famed for its mosaics that date from the 9th to 12th century. The iconostasis, or rood screen, divides the presbytery from the nave, and is a rare testimony from Byzantine Venice. The 11th-century marble balustrade is composed of carved plutei with flowers, lions, and peacocks drinking from the divine fountain. The top of the balustrade is adorned with columns holding a wooden frame supporting 15th-century paintings of the twelve Apostles and the Virgin Mary on gold backgrounds.

The columns of the marble balustrade have severe structural problems, and have been secured with temporary wooden inserts, while salt accumulation from rising damp in the church has weakened the marble. The stone elements will be dismantled and desalinated through soaking treatments before being consolidated, cleaned, and reassembled. The panel paintings are suffering from severe flaking and risk permanent losses. They will be taken down to undergo treatment at a conservation lab in Venice.