- Cini Foundation
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The island of San Giorgio Maggiore is home to the Cini Foundation
The Giorgio Cini Foundation (Italian Fondazione Giorgio Cini), or just Cini Foundation, is a cultural foundation founded April 20, 1951 in memory of Count Giorgio Cini.
Contents
History
The Foundation is located in the former San Giorgio Monastery on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice. It was established by Count Vittorio Cini in memory of his son who died in an airplane accident near Cannes in 1949. Vittorio Cini had been arrested by the SS during World War II and sent to the Dachau concentration camp. His son Giorgio was able to get him released by bribing officials with diamonds and jewellery.[1]
Purpose and collections
Part of the original purpose of the Foundation was to rebuild the convent that had been destroyed by Napoleon and later used by the Austrian Army, then the Italian Army, and rehabilitate the island within the context of the cultural history of Venice.[2] It now houses a historical library of about 15 000 volumes, an archive of manuscripts, and a collection concerning documents about history, music, theater and art. It is also a venue for exhibitions, concerts and meetings. As such it was a meeting place for the G7 meetings in 1980 and 1987.[3]
The Foundation possess manuscripts and letters of famous persons of the theatrical and literary life of Italy at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth century, including Arrigo Boito, Eleonora Duse, Gabriele D'Annunzio, Giovanni Pascoli, Gian Francesco Malipiero, and Diego Valeri. The Malipiero collection includes the library of the composer as well as scores, correspondence and many musical autographs. The Foundation also retains most of the music by Nino Rota, including a collection of sketches.
The Foundation also is home to the School of San Giorgio for the Study of Venetian Civilisation, an academic center to examine the contributions of the Republic of Venice to civilization.
La Foresteria
The Foresteria are the exclusive guest quarters that were built for Cini's friends and have been reserved for important guests who attend meetings at the Cini foundation. Filled with valuable art and presenting across the water a view of St. Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace, the place has been visited by heads of state including Jimmy Carter, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Francois Mitterrand, Romano Prodi, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, and Juan Carlos of Spain.[4]
References
- ^ Tatiana Metternich (1976). Purgatory of Fools. Quadrangle (1976). p. 196. ISBN 0-8129-0691-8.
- ^ Mission of the Cini Foundation
- ^ R. W. Apple, Jr. (June 7, 1987). "Once a World Power, Now Host to World Powers". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE5D81E38F934A35755C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all.
- ^ Information about La Foresteria
Sources
The initial English version of this article is based on the corresponding Italian version in Wikipedia from February 11, 2009
External links
Categories:- Museums in Venice
- Culture in Venice
- Foundations based in Italy
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