Ca' Foscari for Venice, fundraising campaign collects over €52,000

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Last November, Ca‘ Foscari University was also badly affected by the exceptional acqua alta (high tides) that put the city, its residents and its institutions under great strain. This is why the university immediately took action by launching a fundraising campaign just a few days after the flooding to support Venice, its priceless cultural heritage, its people and, consequently, to support its students and their future.

The emergency campaign in Venice achieved its goal, collecting over €52,000 in 1,130 donations.

Among the donors, mostly local residents, there were also a number of students, teachers, technical and administrative staff from Ca’ Foscari and the University Alumni, to whom we are especially grateful.

Instead, donating bodies included the Ca’ Foscari Alumni Association, some foreign universities and the companies EsoSphera Srl, Sica SpA and Master Italia SpA . The campaign also benefited from the support of the bank Intesa Sanpaolo, which promoted the Ca’ Foscari fundraiser through its portal.
Ca’ Foscari has decided to redistribute the resources collected for the needs of the city and its historical heritage.

The University Fundraising Committee therefore approved the following allocations:

 

  • a contribution of €15,000 to the “Benedetto Marcello” Conservatory of Venice to cover a project of digitization, cataloguing and restoration of documents damaged by the flooding, part of an enhancement objective, which also includes a new room of the Museum of ancient instruments that will be used as a permanent exhibition of the most precious volumes and manuscripts;

  • a contribution of €25,000 to the Querini Stampalia Foundation for the construction of new shelving to replace those damaged by the flooding.

In addition to the €40,000 collected in support of the city, there are an additional €12,000 collected from the SOS Collegio Internazionale campaign launched by Ca’ Foscari at the initiative of the students of the College, which is based on the Island of San Servolo. The extraordinary and devastating tides also had destructive consequences for this island, which hosts students from all over the world, selected on the basis of merit. The island, submerged for several days by exceptionally high tides that cut off connections with Venice, suffered significant damage in particular to doors, fixtures and numerous rooms on the main ground floor, including the students’ reading room. The student community managed the emergency by sharing spaces and provisions with other people stuck on the island, observing and keeping internet connections with the city open.

The €12,000 will be used to renovate the comunal spaces of the College, with works undertaken progressively.

The devastation of the Island of San Servolo

“With the Emergenza Venezia campaign,” explains Michele Bugliesi, Rector of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, “we too an active role in supporting the city and the restoration of its artistic and cultural heritage following the extensive damage suffered with the flooding of last November. Today it is with great pleasure that we announce that we are ready to donate the contribution collected to the Querini Stampalia Foundation and the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory, which were hard hit by the floods. The donation contributes to the restoration and enhancement of the invaluable heritage of two of the most important and beloved institutions in the city. I am grateful to all those - our community (teachers, technical-administrative staff, students), companies, our Alumni and our foreign university partners - who with their donations joined Ca‘ Foscari in offering help to the city at such a difficult time.”

 “The contribution we have received is precious to us,” emphasises Giovanni Giol, President of the Venice “Benedetto Marcello” Conservatory of Music,  “for our progress in the recovery, restoration and digitization of books damaged in the disastrous flooding on 12 November. The spirit of collaboration, solidarity and closeness between the most prestigious Venetian cultural and educational institutions is also demonstrated on these occasions, which go beyond the normal academic relationships already profitably established and which drives me to consider greater sharing and commitment. We are truly grateful for the generous gesture of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.”

Paolo Molesini, President of the Querini Stampalia Foundation states that “The care that the Ca‘ Foscari University demonstrates towards Querini Stampalia after the emergency of exceptional and serious flooding of 12 November is gratifying. It recognizes the value of this institution, deeply rooted in the fabric and culture of the city and beyond, and of its library. Querini Stampalia has forever been a place of discussion and training, open to new generations, and is also a daily reference point for university students. In addition to financial support, it offers concrete confirmation of the highest meaning of the 'network tariff': the capacity to unite resources, people and knowledge to achieve common objectives, such as the development of knowledge, research and innovation.”

We thank the Venetian District for Research and Innovation for their collaboration.

Donation figures can be found on the web page  sostienici.unive.it