Venice Charter

THE VENICE CHARTER 1964
INTERNATIONAL CHARTER FOR THE CONSERVATION AND

RESTORATION OF MONUMENTS AND SITES
BY:
ANEESA NAEEM
S. GULRUKH ZAHRA
S.MARYAM IFTIKHAR
IFRA MAHBOOB
INTRODUCTION
• Imbued with a message from the past, the historic monuments of generations of people
remain to the present day as living witnesses of their age-old traditions.
• It is essential that the principles guiding the preservation and restoration of ancient
buildings should be agreed and be laid down on an international basis, with each
country being responsible for applying the plan within the framework of its own culture
and traditions.
• Increasing awareness and critical study have been brought to bear on problems which
have continually become more complex and varied; now the time has come to examine
the Charter afresh in order to make a thorough study of the principles involved and to
enlarge its scope in a new document.
INTRODUCTION
When the lInd International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic
Monuments met in Venice from 25 to 31 May 1964, and adopted the International Charter
for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, it hardly anticipated the
subsequent fortunes of this document. Over three decades later the Venice Charter
continues to exercise its validity.
It is from this period on that a broader based international collaboration was started,
including technical missions, campaigns, documentation and especially training.
Although many countries had established their legislation for the protection of cultural
heritage in the first decades of the century, the Venice Charter was a stimulus for their
updaring and completion.
VENIS CHARTER PROCESS
The Venice Charter consisted of seven main titles and sixteen articles. The concept of historic
monuments and sites was interpreted as the common heritage, therefore safeguarding them for the
future generations with authenticity was defined as the common responsibility. The lInd
International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, approved the
following text:
DEFINING
CHARTER AIMS
RESTORATION
HISTORICAL
CONSERVATION
SITE
EXCAVATION PUBLICATION
DEFINITIONS
• The concept of a historic monument embraces not only the single architectural
work but also the urban or rural setting in which is found the evidence of a
ARTI particular civilization, a significant development or a historic event.
CLE
1
• The conservation and restoration of monuments must have recourse to all the
sciences and techniques which can contribute to the study and safeguarding of
ARTI the architectural heritage.
CLE
2
AIM
• The intention in conserving and restoring

monuments is to safeguard them no less as works
of art than as historical evidence.
ARTI
CLE
3
CONSERVATION
• It is essential to the conservation of monuments that they be maintained on a permanent
ART basis.
ICL
E
4
• The conservation of monuments is always facilitated by making use of them for some
socially useful purpose.
ART • Such use is therefore desirable but it must not change the lay-out or decoration of the
ICL building.
E
5
• The conservation of a monument implies preserving a setting which is not out of scale.
Wherever the traditional setting exists, it must be kept.
ART • No new construction, demolition or modification which would alter the relations of mass
ICL and color must be allowed.
E
6
CONSERVATION
• A monument is inseparable from the history to which it bears witness and
from the setting in which it occurs.
• The moving of all or part of a monument cannot be allowed except where
ARTI the safeguarding of that monument demands it or where it is justified by
national or international interest of paramount importance.
CLE
7
• Items of sculpture, painting or decoration which form an integral part of a

monument may only be removed from it if this is the sole means of ensuring their
ARTI preservation.
CLE
8
RESTORATION
• The process of restoration is a highly specialized operation. Its aim is to preserve and reveal
the aesthetic and historic value of the monument and is based on respect for original material
and authentic documents.
• It must stop at the point where conjecture begins, and in this case moreover any extra work
ART which is indispensable must be distinct from the architectural composition and must bear a
ICLE contemporary stamp.
9
• Where traditional techniques prove inadequate, the consolidation of a monument can be
ART achieved by the use of any modern technique for conservation and construction, the
efficacy of which has been shown by scientific data and proved by experience.
ICL
E
10
• The valid contributions of all periods to the building of a monument must be respected, since unity
of style is not the aim of a restoration.
• When a building includes the superimposed work of different periods, the revealing of the
ART underlying state can only be justified in exceptional circumstances and when what is removed is of
ICL little interest and the material which is brought to light is of great historical, archaeological or
E aesthetic value, and its state of preservation good enough to justify the action.
11
RESTORATION
• Replacements of missing parts must integrate harmoniously with the whole, but at
the same time must be distinguishable from the original so that restoration does not
ARTI falsify the artistic or historic evidence.
CLE
12
• Additions cannot be allowed except in so far as they do not detract from the
interesting parts of the building, its traditional setting, the balance of its
ARTI composition and its relation with its surroundings.
CLE
13
HISTORIC SITES
• The sites of monuments must be the object of special care in order to

safeguard their integrity and ensure that they are cleared and presented in a
seemly manner.
• The work of conservation and restoration carried out in such places should be
ARTI inspired by the principles set forth in the foregoing articles.
CLE
14
EXCAVATIONS
• Excavations should be carried out in accordance with scientific
standards and the recommendation defining international
principles to be applied in the case of archaeological excavation
adopted by UNESCO in 1956.
• Ruins must be maintained and measures necessary for the
permanent conservation and protection of architectural features
and of objects discovered must be taken.
ARTIC • Furthermore, every means must be taken to facilitate the
understanding of the monument and to reveal it without ever
LE distorting its meaning.
15
PUBLICATION
• In all works of preservation, restoration or excavation, there
should always be precise documentation in the form of
analytical and critical reports, illustrated with drawings and
photographs.
• Every stage of the work of clearing, consolidation,
rearrangement and integration, as well as technical and
formal features identified during the course of the work,
ARTIC should be included.
• This record should be placed in the archives of a public
LE institution and made available to research workers. It is
recommended that the report should be published.
16
Outcome
• The Venice Charter is the most influential document on conservation since 1964. However
the following aspects are not covered in the Venice Charter:
The concept of site which also applies to historic landscapes and

gardens
The concept of reversibility in restoration
The social and financial issues

Application of the Venice Charter in the
Restoration of the Parthenon
• The restoration of the Parthenon is highly demanding since
it serves as a model to a multitude of other restoration
projects all around the world. Whatever decisions are made
in the restoration of the Parthenon reverberations from
them are felt elsewhere. This has happened, for example,
in the use of titanium, which is now being used in many
other restoration works, one of those is Fontana di Trevi in
Rome.
THE ORIGINAL PALACE OF PARTHENON SCULPTURES

AIMS
Old buildings should be treated as old people, one should try to understand and help
them, not to change them.
The old ones should be listened to, also old buildings, to what they tell (it is the
narratively of the building)
RESTORATION OF THE PARTHENON
The nature of the present restoration of the

Parthenon is that of a rescue operation. It aims
at the removal of the causes of the continuing
detoriation, at the better conservation of the
temple after the work has been completed and
of the improvement of the value of this
monument.
RESTORATION OF THE PARTHENON
The introduction of the Venice Charter grants every country a responsibility for applying the
principles within the framework of its own culture and traditions. This is found very
important in the case of Parthenon by Professor Charalambos Bouras for three reasons:
a) it is a monument of exceptional importance from every point

of view
b) the work is not now beginning: even in the theoretical sphere

there exists a precedent that cannot be ignored
c) the knowledge and interpretation of the Parthenon are

unusually well advanced, and any consideration of the problems
of the monument is correspondingly more complex.
CONCLUSION
The group working with the proposals and also in situ with the restoration of the
Parthenon has given an own, quite personal interpretation to the Venice Charter. They
have opened all the problems to a wide international discussion and this article wishes to
take part in it. Yet they have been very determined and kept their own vision. Those who
work with this restoration project consider it a privilege and try to do their best. The
future generations will get careful documents along with the preserved monument. Time
will be the only objective and hopefully merciful judge even in this matter.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• http://arkitekturforskning.net/na/article/viewFile/641/588
• https://www.icomos.org/charters/venice_e.pdf
• http://
orcp.hustoj.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/1964-The-context-of-the-Venice-Charter-
1964.pdf
THANK
YOU

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THE VENICE CHARTER 1964

INTERNATIONAL CHARTER FOR THE CONSERVATION AND

• The intention in conserving and restoring

• Items of sculpture, painting or decoration which form an integral part of a

• The sites of monuments must be the object of special care in order to

The concept of site which also applies to historic landscapes and

The concept of reversibility in restoration

The social and financial issues

THE ORIGINAL PALACE OF PARTHENON SCULPTURES

The nature of the present restoration of the

a) it is a monument of exceptional importance from every point

b) the work is not now beginning: even in the theoretical sphere

c) the knowledge and interpretation of the Parthenon are

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