How Italy Protected Its Cultural Heritage During War

A New Exhibit at the National World War I Museum

War &Art 

Destruction and Protection of Italian Cultural Heritage During World War I

Venice, St. Mark’s Basilica, Removal of the Bronze Horses on the Facade, 1915

Claudio Bisogniero, Ambassador of Italy to the United States, will visit the museum on Monday, 17 November for a private event prior to the debut of War & Art. Destruction and Protection of Italian Cultural Heritage During World War I, a special exhibition featuring photographs documenting the preservation of priceless works of art during the Great War. Ambassador Bisogniero’s appearance marks the first time the Italian ambassador has visited Kansas City in more than 50 years. Ambassador Bisogniero will be available to speak with members of the media during a private event at the museum beginning at 6 p.m. on 17 November.

Destruction and Protection of Italian Cultural Heritage During World War I showcases the attempts by the Italian government to preserve priceless works of art during the destruction caused by World War I through a series of photographs taken by those tasked with preservation. Opening Tuesday18 November, the exhibition is curated by the Instituto per lLa Storia del Risorgimento Italiana in Rome and marks the first time this collection has been on exhibit outside of Italy.

Possagno in the Province of Treviso, Inside the Canova Gypsum Museum
After Its Bombing, 1918

A Museum Near the Front in Aquileia, 1916