Embracing Change in Venice: Shifting Perspectives on Heritage Preservation
Introduction
Venice, the enchanting city built on water, has long captivated the imagination of locals and travelers alike. Its unique charm, rich history, and architectural wonders make it a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, the city faces numerous challenges, including its sinking foundations and the detrimental effects of tourism.
In a thought-provoking 1971 essay for The architectural review, British author and Venice resident Jan Morris expressed a daring opinion: “My own solution because Venice’s problem is letting it sink.” Years later, Morris reiterated this point with conviction, urging the city to “let her sink in.” While Morris believed that Venice’s demise would be delayed due to global intervention, the reality has drastically changed. Scientists now predict that, in the worst-case scenario, Venice could be submerged by 2100.
As we confront this impending tragedy, it becomes crucial to explore new perspectives on heritage preservation. In his book Blight Healed: Inheritance Beyond Salvation, UK-based professor Caitlin DeSilvey advocates for allowing landscapes and landmarks to evolve naturally, rather than forcing them to remain untouched. The concept challenges our ingrained notion of failure and opens up possibilities for a different approach to managing heritage sites in the face of climate change.
The Evolution of Heritage Preservation
Transitioning from Preservation to Transformation
Traditional heritage preservation aims to save and maintain historical sites as they were originally intended. However, as climate change poses an increasing threat, preserving every heritage site “in perpetuity” becomes fiscally impossible. Instead, we must shift our focus towards an adaptive approach that acknowledges the inevitability of change.
Professor DeSilvey proposes a transition of values from the known to the potential, freeing us from the continuous maintenance of the past and embracing the possibility of transformation. Understanding that ruin does not equate to failure allows us to perceive heritage sites as dynamic entities that can evolve in response to changing conditions.
Redefining Failure: Embracing Change
Within the realm of heritage preservation, the fear of failure often hinders innovation and progress. The property sector, in particular, struggles with the concept of managing change and perceiving ruin as a natural part of the life cycle of a historical site.
However, as climate change accelerates, we must challenge our perception of failure. Instead of clinging to the unattainable goal of preserving every detail as it stands today, we can redefine failure as the failure to adapt. By embracing change and allowing landscapes and landmarks to transform, we can ensure their continued relevance and existence in a rapidly evolving world.
Rethinking Heritage Preservation in Venice
Venice’s Current Challenges
Venice is facing a myriad of challenges that threaten its very existence. The city’s sinking foundations and increasing tourism pose significant risks to its delicate ecosystem and architectural heritage. While the MOSE flood barriers have proven effective in protecting the city from tidal waves, their cost and maintenance pose a considerable burden.
Preserving Venice’s urban heritage as it is becomes increasingly difficult, both financially and logistically. As we reconsider the notion of failure and shift our focus towards adaptation, it might be prudent to explore alternative approaches to preserving Venice’s unique essence.
Relocation: A Controversial Solution
One potential solution is the relocation of Venice’s residents to less vulnerable areas. By diverting funds from the preservation of historical buildings to the human aspect of the city, we prioritize the well-being of its inhabitants. However, such a proposal is met with controversy, as it inevitably alters the social fabric and cultural dynamics of the city.
Relocation also raises important questions about the authenticity of a relocated Venice. Can a city built on water retain its spirit in a new location? While the answer may not be clear, exploring these alternative scenarios is vital to addressing the impending challenges Venice faces.
Shifting Focus: Preserving Natural Heritage
As we contemplate the future of Venice, it is essential to consider the broader ecological significance of its lagoon. The Venetian Lagoon is one of the most important coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin, supporting diverse flora and fauna.
Shifting our focus from solely preserving the urban heritage to safeguarding the natural heritage of the lagoon presents a new perspective on Venice’s future. By prioritizing the protection and restoration of this fragile ecosystem, we preserve Venice’s essence while embracing the need for adaptation.
Conclusion
Venice stands at a crossroads, facing inevitable challenges brought about by climate change and escalating tourism. To ensure the survival of this architectural marvel, we must adapt our approach to heritage preservation. By shifting from a fixation on maintaining the past to embracing change, we open up new possibilities for the future of Venice.
As we contemplate the relocation of its residents and the preservation of its natural heritage, we redefine failure and challenge the notion of what it means to save a city. Venice’s story forces us to confront the impermanence of our surroundings and the need for resilience in the face of an ever-changing world.
Additional Insights
While the original piece highlighted the shifting perspectives on heritage preservation, it is important to delve deeper into related concepts and share additional insights to captivate readers. Here are some unique perspectives and practical examples surrounding the topic:
1. Adapting Cities to Rising Sea Levels
Venice is not the only city facing the threat of rising sea levels. Coastal cities worldwide are grappling with the need to adapt their infrastructure and urban planning to withstand the effects of climate change.
Examples such as Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Jakarta in Indonesia showcase innovative approaches to climate-resilient urban design. From constructing floating neighborhoods to implementing sustainable drainage systems, these cities demonstrate the possibilities of adapting to a changing environment.
2. Cultural Heritage vs. Natural Heritage
The dichotomy between preserving cultural heritage and protecting natural heritage raises compelling questions about our values and priorities. Often, the focus is heavily skewed towards preserving built heritage, neglecting the ecological significance of natural landscapes.
Exploring case studies of successful natural heritage preservation, such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon rainforest, allows us to examine the delicate balance between safeguarding cultural artifacts and the ecosystems they inhabit.
3. Community Engagement in Heritage Preservation
Heritage preservation is not solely the responsibility of governments and conservation organizations. Engaging local communities in the preservation process fosters a sense of ownership and ensures the sustainability of preservation efforts.
Examining community-led initiatives, like the restoration of historical districts through grassroots movements, provides valuable insights into the transformative power of collective action.
Summary
The challenges faced by Venice require a fresh perspective on heritage preservation. As we shift from traditional notions of failure and embrace change, we can explore innovative approaches to safeguarding the city’s essence. Relocating residents, protecting natural heritage, and engaging local communities all contribute to shaping a future for Venice that balances preservation with adaptation. By understanding the broader implications of climate change on heritage sites worldwide and reevaluating our values, we can navigate the complexities of preserving our cultural and natural legacy.
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“My own solution because Venice’s problem is letting it sink,” British author and longtime Venice resident Jan Morris wrote with merciless casualness in a 1971 essay for The architectural review . She reiterated the point in The New York Times four years later, pressing his point with conviction and enthusiasm: “Let her sink in.”
And yet Morris predicted that this would never be the fate of Venice, because “the world would not allow it.” That may be true. What he was wrong about was in the time frame of the impending tragedy. She thought it would be a long time coming: “One can’t wait for the apocalypse,” but she probably didn’t imagine that just 50 years later, scientists could predict that, worst-case scenario, Venice could be under water by 2100. Prepare the horses; the apocalypse is here. You don’t prepare for the end of the world by batting down the hatches and standing still, you need to adapt.
“One thing we are trying to explore heritage in practice goes beyond the impulse to save everything all the time,” says UK-based professor of cultural geography Caitlin DeSilvey. In his 2017 book Blight Healed: Inheritance Beyond Salvation, DeSilvey wrote about letting landscapes and landmarks morph, windswept or wave-eroded, rather than forcing them to remain in the state we inherited them. “The property sector has a bit of a block, because when you talk about managing that kind of change and you talk about ruin, it is perceived as a failure,” he adds.
But as the loss and destruction of world heritage sites due to climate change becomes more common, we must change the way we think about that loss and redefine our notion of failure. Our values must change along with our changing climate. As researchers Erin Seekamp and Eugene Jo put it in a paper 2020we need a “transition of values from the known to what can be, overcoming the tendency to continuous maintenance and last minute efforts to prolong the inevitable”.
The situation has changed since Morris wrote about Venice, looking out from his vantage point on the Punta della Dogana. If Morris described the city as a problem in the 1970s, it is now a mess, swallowed whole by both rising water and increased tourism.
Although it is well documented that Venice is sinking, its new MOSE flood barriers do an excellent job of protecting it. In November 2022, they saved Venice from its biggest tidal wave in 50 years, which would have swept the city. But the system was built after years of delays, a corruption scandal and a price tag of 6.2 billion euros ($6.9 billion). It is expected to cost €200,000 more each time the barriers are raised, and will have to be raised more and more frequently. Seekamp and Jo argue that preserving all World Heritage sites and their current values “in perpetuity” is “fiscally impossible”. In the case of Venice, that money could be used to relocate the city’s residents, and if its urban heritage is to be irrevocably lost or changed, we could shift our focus to protecting its natural heritage, as the lagoon is one of the most important coastal ecosystems in the entire Mediterranean basin.
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