The Giorgio Cini Foundation is a beacon of culture and art nestled in the heart of the Venetian Lagoon, on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Created by Vittorio Cini in memory of his son Giorgio, it is a place that has succeeded in restoring the ancient monastic complex to its Renaissance and Baroque splendour, transforming it into a vital center for study, exhibitions, and events. A visit to the Cini Foundation is not only an immersion in architectural history but also a journey through art, literature, and nature, in an oasis of peace and knowledge.
History of the Cini Foundation: A Unique Cultural Project
The Giorgio Cini Foundation was established in 1951 by Vittorio Cini, a project born from a profound desire to honour the memory of his son Giorgio, who tragically died in a plane crash in 1949, at the age of 30, after having saved his father from the Dachau concentration camp.
Vittorio Cini chose the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore for its rich and complex history. The island was home to a Benedictine abbey founded by Abbot Giovanni Morosini in 982 AD, a complex that was enriched over the centuries thanks to the genius of architects and artists like Palladio, Longhena, Tintoretto, and Veronese. However, after the suppression of religious orders by Napoleon Bonaparte at the end of the eighteenth century, the abbey fell into ruin, suffering looting and military occupations that reduced it to an arms depot.
The Foundation’s commitment, starting in 1951, was to launch an arduous restoration project to return the complex to its former glory, as evidenced by period photographs showing the decay (for example, the Palladian Refectory had been transformed into a workshop and the Longhena Library had rifle racks instead of bookcases). The restorers, led by engineer Ferdinando Forlati, worked based on the few available eighteenth-century prints.
Today, the Cini Foundation is a cultural institution dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of artistic and cultural heritage, a place for study, research, and international dialogue.
The Art Collections: Treasures to Discover
The Fondazione Cini collections and the restored architectural spaces house and integrate treasures of inestimable value:
- Monumental Architecture: The restored buildings are works of art in themselves. Highlights include the Palladian Refectory, designed by Andrea Palladio (who did not live to see it completed) and finished in 1615. Inside is an extraordinary “material” copy of Paolo Veronese’s The Wedding at Cana, which originally filled the back wall before being looted by Napoleon in 1797 (the original is in the Louvre). This copy, made by Factum Arte, allows for a visual experience in the place for which the work was conceived.
- Historic Cloisters: The complex includes the Chiostro dei Buòra (or Cloister of the Cypresses), the oldest, begun by Giovanni Buora and completed by his sons at the end of the fifteenth century, featuring elegant twin-light windows in the early Venetian Renaissance style. The Palladio Cloister, the last work designed by the architect for the monastery (1579), showcases his distinctive style, with paired Ionic columns and harmonious proportions.
- Longhena Library: This Baroque library, designed by Baldassarre Longhena in 1654, is a masterpiece of light and proportion. Its walnut wood bookcases, recovered from the Liceo Convitto Foscarini, contain the precious Library of Art History, the most important private library in the field of Venetian art history.
- La Manica Lunga: Designed by Giovanni Buora, this 128-meter gallery used to house the monastic cells. Reconverted by the architect Michele De Lucchi (inspired by Longhena), it now hosts a large part of the Library of Art History and maintains an ascetic and unique atmosphere. Additionally, it hosts a collection of works by the Italian designer Alessandro Mendini, titled VISI, focused on the human face as the matrix of the project.
- Eleonora Duse Room: The Cini Foundation’s Institute for Theatre and Opera opened this room in 2011 to display the richest archive on the actress Eleonora Duse (1858–1924), donated by her granddaughter. It contains letters (including those exchanged with Arrigo Boito and Gabriele D’Annunzio), annotated scripts, costumes, and photographs, paying homage to this revolutionary figure of the theatre, also famous abroad.
Events and Exhibitions: A Rich and Varied Programme
Fondazione Cini events are a central element of its cultural mission. The institution regularly hosts exhibitions, conferences, concerts, and seminars, positioning itself as a center for cultural production and dissemination of international importance. The Foundation is known for its study and research programmes (for example, the institutes for Theatre and Opera or for Art History) and for its collaborations with museums and institutions worldwide.
The programme is constantly updated and ranges from exhibitions dedicated to its collections (such as the exhibition on the centenary of Eleonora Duse’s death) to events that re-actualize the historical spaces, such as Mendini’s contemporary intervention in the Manica Lunga.
The Island of San Giorgio: An Oasis of Peace and Culture
The Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, where the Cini Foundation stands, is an unmissable destination in itself. It is an oasis of peace and culture that offers a unique perspective on Venice, dominating the San Marco Basin.
A feature of great fascination is the Borges Labyrinth. Created in 2011 by the Foundation and the Fundación Internacional Jorge Luis Borges, it is dedicated to the Argentine writer and poet, who deeply loved Venice. Designed by the English architect Randoll Coate, the labyrinth spans about 2,300 sqm with over 3,000 boxwood plants. The paths form the name “Borges” and are sprinkled with symbols drawn from his works: the walking stick, the mirrors, the tiger, and a huge question mark. The labyrinth, commissioned by Borges’ second wife, Maria Kodama, evokes the short story The Garden of Forking Paths and is a place of suggestion and meditation.
The Cini Foundation, with its combination of restored historical architecture, precious collections, unique archives, and constant cultural activity, represents a treasure of Venice, a place where history dialogues with the present, inviting scholars and visitors to “enrich their knowledge and nourish the soul with art, history, and culture in general.”