The annual Venice trip is a highlight in the calendar for our second year BA (Hons) Carving and BA (Hons) Conservation students. We were delighted to return to the city in late November 2023, kindly hosted once again by the Cini Foundation.
The trip’s activities started straight away on arrival into the city. Once we had checked into our rooms, we were given an introduction to the themes of the week before travelling to St Mark’s Square to visit the Basilica. This was followed by an orientation walk around Venice center towards the Dorsoduro and seeing some of the Baroque churches en route.
The second day started early, with the whole group taking a train out of the city to Padua. There, we visited the 13th century Church of the Eremitani, which was badly damaged by aerial bombardment during World War II. We discussed the conservation issues and restoration process, and why the church has deliberately not been restored to a pristine state.
We then split into two groups for the rest of the day. BA (Hons) Carving and BA (Hons) Conservation: Stone, Wood & Decorative Surfaces students visited the 16th-century Palazzo Bo, before seeing the Padua Baptistry and San Antonio Basilica. Our BA (Hons) Conservation: Books and Paper students visited the Abbazia di Praglia, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1080 with a center for book restoration. After their visits, students had the opportunity to spend the evening in Padua before catching the train back to Venice.
Palazzo Bo
Palazzo Bo
Abbazia di Praglia
On Day 3, we were given a tour of the Cini Foundation and library, where we saw works on paper, a Palladian building and carvings. Late morning, we travelled to St Mark’s Square, where we split into the same groups as the day before. Our Books & Paper Conservation students visited Marciana Library, one of the earliest surviving public libraries in Italy. Meanwhile, the rest of the group studied the artefacts in St Marks Square, considering their material properties and meanings from both a carving and conservation perspective, and learned a little about the history of Venice.
Cini Foundation
Cini Foundation
Cini Foundation
Marciana Library
Marciana Library
After a break for lunch, the carvers went to the Scuola San Rocca and the Santa Maria dei Carmini Church to see the stunning wood carvings, and our Books and Paper Conservation students visited the San Francesco della Vigna library. All students came together at the end of the day with a trip to the Ca’ Rezzonico museum.
The fourth and last full day of the trip began again in St Mark’s Square. BA (Hons) Carving and BA (Hons) Conservation: Stone, Wood & Decorative Surfaces students visited the Church of San Zaccaria, the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, the Scuola San Marco and Santa Maria dei Miracoli. Books and Paper Conservation students visited the Armenian Monastery of San Lazzaro, home to one of the oldest printing and publishing houses in Venice, and their archive. After lunch, students were then given an afternoon free to explore the city.
San Lazzaro
San Lazzaro
Our last morning in Venice was spent at the church of San Nicolo dei Mendicoli, followed by a visit to the Frari – the largest church in the city. Our Books and Paper Conservation students had the special opportunity to visit Mario Berta Battiloro, the last artisan gold beater in Venice.
Mario Berta Battiloro
Mario Berta Battiloro – Earrings of 24 ct gold over oyster shells
We then returned to the Cini to collect our bags and say goodbye to our hosts before heading to the airport.
Interested in studying on one of our BA Carving or BA Conservation courses? Find out more at one of our upcoming Open Days.
Applications are now open for 2024/25.