Conservation Plan for the Protestant Cemetery, Island of San Michele

About the project

The location of the Protestant section of Venice’s cemetery island of San Michele is shown on the diagram opposite. It is administered by the Lutheran, Waldensian and Anglican communities and  contains the graves of many  ex-patriot residents of Venice and celebrated figures such as Ezra Pound, Josef Brodsky and Igor Stravinsky.

In 1994-5 at the instigation of the Danish, Swiss and Austrian Committees a full survey of the section was carried out, recording the positions of all the graves and their inscriptions, and describing the often invasive vegetation. The survey went on to include a record of the physical state of all the gravestones, many of which are badly dilapidated. The city council commissioned further archival and legal research.

In 2014 an international Association (ARECSM) was set up to take the conservation forward in partnership with the Comune di Venezia. Venice in Peril has contributed £10,000 to the £50,000 to this stage of the project. 

Related projects are the Lido Cemetery and Jewish Cemetery projects, the conservation of the Cappella Emiliani on San Michele and the support of the Anglican church of St George in Venice.

Project location

In brief

COMPLETED
  • The Protestant Cemetery, or Reparto Evangelico, is part of Venice’s main cemetery island of San Michele, where many former residents of Venice from Igor Stravinsky to the founder of Venice in Peril, Sir Ashley Clarke are buried.
  • An international Association (ARECSM) was set up in 2014 to commission a survey and conservation plan in partnership with the Comune di Venezia to manage the cemetery into the future. 
  • Venice in Peril has also contributed to conservation of the tombstones of 18th century English residents of Venice and those in the Jewish cemetery. Both of these are on the northern end of the Lido.
  • For more on the Association, history and plans for the Venice Protestant Cemetery on San Michele

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