Leak damage at the Annunziata

This has been an ongoing story, but hasn't been widely picked up:

Just a few short blocks from the current media circus over David's dust, it is raining inside one of Florence's most important churches. While high-powered sponsors and celebrities stand in line to contribute enormous sums of money to restore high-profile objects, the Florentine city council has announced that they do not have the funds necessary to repair the leaking roof, which alone would eat up 25% of their annual budget. This is not a new problem, but one that has been ongoing for many years, as evidenced by an ArtWatch photo taken in June of 2002, which shows already extensive damage.

Read more at ArtWatch International. Once again, an illustration of the disproportionate amount of attention that follows celebrity -- not something I'm inclined to make a fuss about when it comes to famous living persons, but worrisome when it spills over into preservation policy.

Posted by David on April 15, 2004 2:28 PM