Venice and its Lagoon
Factors affecting the property in 1989*
- Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1989
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 1989**
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 1989
The same delegate informed the Committee of his concern over the announcement of a universal exhibition in Venice.
The fragile structures and the limited space of this town, inscribed together with its lagoon on the World Heritage List in 1987, made Venice extremely vulnerable to the effects of mass events.
The Secretariat informed the Committee that the Director-General had already written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy requesting more details on this project.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1989
13 COM IX.22
SOC: Venice (Italy)
22. The same delegate informed the Committee of his concern over the announcement of a universal exhibition in Venice. The fragile structures and the limited space of this town, inscribed together with its lagoon on the World Heritage List in 1987, made Venice extremely vulnerable to the effects of mass events. The Secretariat informed the Committee that the Director-General had already written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy requesting more details on this project. The Committee decided to launch the following appeal:
The World Heritage Committee, meeting for its 13th session at Unesco headquarters in Paris from 11 to 15 December 1989, expressed its grave concern about the new threats to Venice which is inscribed on the World Heritage List. A universal exhibition, which would attract several hundreds of thousands of visitors in addition to the usual surge of tourists, risks threatening the integrity of this heritage which is unique in the history, art and civilization of humanity. The World Heritage Committee calls upon the Italian authorities so that irreparable damage can be avoided.
No draft Decision
ItalyExports
* :
The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).
** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.
