Venice in Peril Fund
A British charitable organization that funds the conservation of Venice’s art, architecture, historic buildings and lagoon environment.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Venice in Peril Fund is a British registered charitable organization focused on protecting Venice’s cultural heritage and drawing attention to the environmental and social pressures affecting the city and its lagoon. Its work combines fundraising, conservation grants, research, public education and advocacy. Rather than operating as a commercial brand, the Fund acts as a bridge between donors, conservation specialists, academic institutions and projects in Venice. The organization grew out of the Italian Art & Archives Rescue Fund, established in Britain after the catastrophic November 1966 flood that damaged works of art and historic buildings in Venice and Florence. Sir Ashley Clarke, a former British ambassador to Italy and chairman of the British Italian Society, chaired the initial appeal. The predecessor organization continued rescue and conservation work until it was reconstituted in 1971, following UNESCO’s international appeal to assist Venice. The new Venice in Peril Fund adopted a broader and more enduring mission: helping preserve the city’s artistic and architectural inheritance while encouraging informed responses to the risks facing Venice. The Fund supports specific conservation projects, including the repair and restoration of churches, sculptures, architectural elements, mosaics and other works of art. Projects described in its history include work at the Church of San Niccolò dei Mendicoli, the Loggetta of St Mark’s Campanile, the Porta della Carta at the Doge’s Palace, Torcello Cathedral, the Basilica of San Marco, the Gallerie dell’Accademia and the Frari church. By its fiftieth anniversary in 2021, the organization reported that it had completed more than 75 conservation and restoration projects in Venice. Its remit also extends beyond individual monuments. Venice in Peril has supported research into flooding, sea-level rise, the lagoon ecosystem, tourism, demographic change, the financing of conservation and changing uses of historic buildings. A 2003 interdisciplinary conference, organized with Churchill College, Cambridge, and the Consorzio per il coordinamento delle ricerche inerenti al sistema lagunare di Venezia, helped generate publications addressing the scientific and social challenges of the lagoon. Through these activities, the Fund presents conservation as part of a wider effort to maintain Venice as a living city rather than merely as a collection of monuments. Public engagement is another part of the organization’s role. It arranges lecture programs in the United Kingdom, occasional visits to Venice and cultural initiatives designed to deepen understanding of the city’s history and contemporary problems. It also provides annual bursaries for students studying conservation at the City & Guilds of London Art School. In 2011, during the Venice Biennale, it presented Real Venice, an exhibition of photographs by prominent photographers that combined awareness-building with fundraising. The Fund has also benefited from long-running partnership activity. In 1977, Peter Boizot, founder of PizzaExpress, created the Pizza Veneziana, with a portion of sales donated to Venice in Peril for many years. The partnership reportedly generated £2 million in donations between 1977 and 2015, and continued until 2019. Following the severe November 2019 flood, the Fund launched a 2020 appeal supporting conservation work at several badly affected public buildings. More recent projects include the conservation of Canova’s monument in the Frari and the iconostasis in Torcello Cathedral, the latter undertaken in memory of the organization’s long-serving chairman John Julius Norwich and in collaboration with Save Venice Inc. Venice in Peril remains concerned with the interaction of climate-related flooding, rising water levels, mass tourism, population decline, building use and the long-term maintenance of the lagoon city. It is a member of the Association of International Private Committees for the Safeguarding of Venice.
History
Venice in Peril Fund traces its origins to the Italian Art & Archives Rescue Fund, formed in Britain after the devastating 1966 flood in Venice and Florence. Sir Ashley Clarke, a former British ambassador to Rome and then chairman of the British Italian Society, was asked to lead a committee seeking support for the rescue of damaged artworks and historic buildings. The committee included figures such as Sir Kenneth Clarke, the Earl of Drogheda, Sir Frank Francis, Lionel Robbins and A. W. Tuke. The predecessor fund worked on emergency and conservation needs from 1967 to 1971. In 1971, UNESCO appealed to member states to cooperate in safeguarding Venice as a whole. In response, Clarke reconstituted the earlier organization as the Venice in Peril Fund. Its objective was not limited to emergency repairs: it sought to help maintain Venice’s artistic and architectural treasures over the long term. John Julius Norwich became chair in 1971, with Clarke as vice chair. During Norwich’s tenure, the Fund developed into a prominent participant in the international conservation movement surrounding Venice, supported by trustees and advisers including Clarke, Carla Thorneycroft, Sir John Pope-Hennessy and Nathalie Brooke. The organization’s project-based model has funded work across churches, civic buildings, museums and individual works of art. Early projects included structural restoration at the Church of Madonna dell’Orto, the Loggetta of St Mark’s Campanile and San Niccolò dei Mendicoli. Between 1976 and 1979 it supported work on the Porta della Carta, the monumental entrance to the Doge’s Palace. It also participated in the restoration of Torcello Cathedral’s mosaics from 1977 to 1985, alongside ten other private committees. Later projects included conservation at the Cappella Emiliani, a public-housing conversion in San Giobbe, the Fourth Moro sculpture on the facade associated with Tintoretto’s house, and work at San Marco and the Gallerie dell’Accademia. Fundraising has included cultural partnerships and public programming. In 1977, PizzaExpress founder Peter Boizot introduced the Pizza Veneziana, with part of the price of each sale donated to the Fund. The arrangement became one of its best-known public fundraising links and reportedly produced £2 million in donations between 1977 and 2015. The partnership remained in place until 2019. The Fund has also organized lecture series in Britain, visits to Venice and exhibitions intended to connect conservation with broader public understanding. During the twenty-first century, Venice in Peril expanded its emphasis on research into the forces that threaten the city and lagoon. In 2003 it organized a state-of-knowledge conference with Churchill College, Cambridge, and Corila. The interdisciplinary initiative brought together scholarship on flooding, environmental change and the lagoon. It led to the technical volume Flooding and Environmental Challenges for Venice and its Lagoons: State of Knowledge, published by Cambridge University Press in 2005, and the more accessible The Science of Saving Venice, published in 2004. Another commissioned publication, The Venice Report: Demography, Tourism, Financing and Change of Use of Buildings, appeared in 2009. In 2011, the Fund mounted Real Venice during the Venice Biennale. The exhibition used photographs by prominent artists and photographers, including Candida Höfer, to communicate the character and vulnerability of the city while raising funds. The organization also established annual bursaries for students studying conservation at the City & Guilds of London Art School, reinforcing its interest in developing future conservation expertise. The exceptional flooding of November 2019, described as Venice’s worst since the Fund’s foundation, prompted a new response. A 2020 appeal supported conservation work at several public buildings, including San Nicolò dei Mendicoli, St George’s Church and parts of the Gallerie dell’Accademia. The Fund’s more recent projects have included the iconostasis in Torcello Cathedral, undertaken in memory of John Julius Norwich and in collaboration with Save Venice Inc., and the conservation of Antonio Canova’s monument in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. By its fiftieth anniversary in 2021, Venice in Peril stated that it had completed more than 75 conservation and restoration projects. Guy Elliott became chair in April 2022, succeeding Jonathan Keates, and Anthony Roberts became vice chair. The Fund continues to combine targeted conservation with concern for rising sea levels, flooding, tourism, demographic change, the lagoon environment and the responsible use of Venice’s historic urban fabric. It is a member of the Association of International Private Committees for the Safeguarding of Venice.
- 2022
Leadership changes and Canova conservation
[1]Guy Elliott became chair, Anthony Roberts became vice chair, and the Fund highlighted conservation of Canova’s monument in the Frari.
- 2021
Fiftieth anniversary and 75-project milestone
[1]The organization marked 50 years under its current name and reported more than 75 completed conservation and restoration projects.
- 2020
Flood appeal supports damaged public buildings
[1]The Fund supported conservation at San Nicolò dei Mendicoli, St George’s Church and the Gallerie dell’Accademia.
- 2019
Major flood affects Venice
[1]Exceptional flooding in November caused extensive damage and became the basis for a subsequent Venice in Peril appeal.
- 2011
Real Venice exhibition is presented
[1]The Fund presented a photography exhibition during the Venice Biennale to raise awareness and funds for conservation.
- 2009
The Venice Report is published
[1]The Fund commissioned a study addressing demographic change, tourism, financing and changing uses of buildings in Venice.
- 2005
Technical lagoon research is published
[1]Cambridge University Press published Flooding and Environmental Challenges for Venice and its Lagoons: State of Knowledge, arising from the Fund-supported research initiative.
- 2004
The Science of Saving Venice is published
[1]A public-facing book commissioned by the Fund presented research and discussion about the problems confronting Venice.
- 2003
Lagoon knowledge conference is organized
[1]The Fund organized an interdisciplinary conference with Churchill College, Cambridge, and Corila to assess knowledge about Venice and its lagoon.
- 1977
Pizza Veneziana fundraising partnership begins
[1]PizzaExpress founder Peter Boizot created the Pizza Veneziana as a long-running fundraising vehicle for Venice in Peril.
Products and positioning
A specialist heritage charity combining targeted restoration funding with research, education and advocacy concerning Venice’s cultural and environmental future.
Heritage conservation · 1971
Conservation and restoration grants
The Fund raises and directs money toward the repair and conservation of Venetian churches, museums, civic buildings, monuments, sculptures, mosaics and architectural features. Known projects range from structural work at San Niccolò dei Mendicoli and Madonna dell’Orto to conservation at the Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s, Torcello Cathedral, the Gallerie dell’Accademia and the Frari.
Cultural and environmental research · 2003
Research and publications
Venice in Peril supports research and knowledge exchange on flooding, sea-level rise, the lagoon, tourism, demography, financing and changes in the use of historic buildings. Its conference and publishing work has produced both technical and general-audience material intended to inform conservation policy and public understanding.
Public education
Lectures, visits and exhibitions
The organization arranges lecture series in the United Kingdom, occasional visits to Venice and cultural exhibitions. These activities explain Venice’s history, artistic importance and modern challenges while encouraging informed and responsible engagement with the city.
Education funding
Conservation student bursaries
Annual bursaries support students studying conservation at the City & Guilds of London Art School. The program connects the Fund’s immediate restoration work with the development of future professional conservation expertise.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Venice flood appeal
United Kingdom · Italy · International donors
Following the severe November 2019 flooding, Venice in Peril appealed for support for public buildings and collections affected by the disaster.
Outcome. Funds supported conservation work at San Nicolò dei Mendicoli, St George’s Church and the Gallerie dell’Accademia.
- 2011Real Venice
Italy · United Kingdom · International cultural audiences
A photography exhibition staged during the Venice Biennale used work by prominent photographers, including Candida Höfer, to promote awareness of Venice’s cultural value and conservation needs.
Outcome. The exhibition received critical acclaim and served both awareness and fundraising purposes.
- 1977Pizza Veneziana
United Kingdom
Peter Boizot, founder of PizzaExpress, created a Pizza Veneziana whose sales contributed a portion of proceeds to Venice in Peril. The partnership became a long-running public fundraising initiative.
Outcome. The partnership reportedly generated £2 million in donations between 1977 and 2015 and continued until 2019.
Brand decisions
2020
Direct emergency conservation funding after the 2019 floodOtherBackground
The November 2019 flood caused serious damage to historic public buildings and collections in Venice.
Action taken
The Fund launched an appeal and directed support toward conservation at San Nicolò dei Mendicoli, St George’s Church and the Gallerie dell’Accademia.
Aftermath
The appeal became part of the Fund’s continuing response to flood-related risks and climate pressures.
2003
Expand research into lagoon-wide risksStrategyBackground
Venice’s threats include flooding and environmental change as well as pressures involving tourism, demography and the use of historic buildings.
Action taken
The Fund convened an interdisciplinary state-of-knowledge conference with Churchill College, Cambridge, and Corila and commissioned related publications.
Aftermath
The initiative produced technical and public-facing books and broadened the organization’s work beyond individual monument restoration.
1971
Reconstitute the rescue fund as Venice in Peril FundStrategyBackground
The creation of the new organization followed UNESCO’s appeal for international cooperation to safeguard Venice as an entire cultural and urban system.
Action taken
Sir Ashley Clarke re-founded the earlier Italian Art & Archives Rescue Fund under the Venice in Peril Fund name and adopted a continuing conservation mandate.
Aftermath
The Fund developed into a long-term participant in Venice’s international conservation movement.
Recent events
- 2021
Venice in Peril marks its fiftieth anniversary after completing more than 75 projects[1]
Other
The Fund’s anniversary material reported more than 75 completed conservation and restoration projects and highlighted continuing work in Venice.
- 2020
Venice in Peril responds to the November 2019 flood[1]
Other
The organization launched an appeal to support conservation at San Nicolò dei Mendicoli, St George’s Church and parts of the Gallerie dell’Accademia damaged by the exceptional flooding.
- 2011
Real Venice exhibition raises awareness during the Venice Biennale[1]
Campaign
Venice in Peril presented a fundraising and awareness exhibition of Venice photographs by prominent photographers, including Candida Höfer.
- 1977
Pizza Veneziana partnership generates long-term conservation donations[1]
Campaign
Peter Boizot created PizzaExpress’s Pizza Veneziana, from which a portion of sales supported Venice in Peril. The partnership reportedly donated £2 million between 1977 and 2015 and continued until 2019.
Sources2 sources
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