Venice's churches are the first and foremost cultural and spiritual legacy with the millenary history of the Lagoon city. 'Chorus' association celebrates ten years of existence and activities (1998-2008) committed to their appreciation, with various events free to the public.
It has been a period of ten years of efforts in keeping the churches open, safeguarding, and enhancing their artistic treasures.
In fact, it is the period of the years of the foundation of the 'Chorus' association and since then it has been dedicated to safe-
guarding, conserving, restoring and enhancing the heritage of the churches of Venice and the Patriarchate. 'Chorus' was founded by a group of ten people who ten years ago had noticed - explains Luca Baldin, director of Chorus - a problem in visiting and admiring Venetian churches: many of them were inaccessible for almost the whole day long; others still suffered from serious degrading. The challenge for Chorus was to guarantee their extended opening to the public by requiring a small fee for the entrance ticket and supplying them, in return, with information material (guides, lighting for the masterpieces and works, cleaning), to promote their knowledge by either the faithful as well as tourists. All of this, points out Baldin, 'without affecting the primary role of the church, which is its top priority, a place of worship.'
Today there are 16 churches joining the Chorus's circuit, which looks after them with its 25 employees. 'These last ten years have proven us right and with the revenues collected - adds Chorus's director- we have finally been able to finance several projects of restorations.'
The Venetian association has celebrated its decade of functioning by offering visitors and citizens at large a series of events of great cultural importance and all free of charge, which climaxed on Friday October 24 in the 'Day of the decade', with the conference 'Ten years later - Management and Enhancement of the Widespread Cultural Heritage.' 'It's not a celebrating conference, but we wish to focus on the experience of Chorus as the potential offered by civil society about intervening in managing public assets, based on
