Overview
Having been closed to the public for half a century, after a five-year restoration project, the Procuratie Vecchie, one of Venice's symbolic landmarks, have now been restored to their former glory. The building was reopened to visitors in the spring of 2022. The Procuracies building is 150 metres long, stretching from the Clock Tower as far as the Correr Museum, occupying an entire side of St. Mark's Square, with three arcades and 100 windows.
The complex was built in the first half of the 16th century on the initiative of the Doge Andrea Gritti. The name "Procuratie" derives from the original use of this building. It was once the residence of the Procurators of St Mark: the city officials responsible for administering the basilica, executing wills and caring for the city's poor and orphans.
Today, the buildings are home to The Human Safety Net, a foundation set up to promote the inclusion and empowerment of refugees through work and entrepreneurship. The building has a coworking space for the Foundation and its NGO partners, a cultural events space and a section open to visitors, including a public café with a library, stocked with books in five different languages. There is also an exhibition A World of Potential, curated by Orna Cohen of Dialogue Social Enterprise.
Calle de le Procuratie, 30123 Venezia VE, Italia
