The International Observatory for Cultural Heritage marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S.A.'s entry into World War I with a photo exhibition documenting the protection of Italy's cultural heritage in the war years. To safeguard vulnerable works of art, soldiers and workers set up masonry supports for buildings, braced statues with wood planks, padded monuments with sandbags, wrapped delicate marble columns in wool, laid mattresses over frescoes, and--where possible--shipped paintings and statues to safer locations.
Italy's national heritage was immediately mobilized as a propaganda tool, with photographs documenting protective efforts and also war damage to paintings, frescoes, and churches.
Curated by
Marco Pizzo (Museo Centrale del Risorgimento)
Renato Miracco (Cultural Attache, Embassy of Italy, Washington DC)
Conceived, organized and produced by
The Embassy of Italy in Washington DC
Istituto per la storia del Risorgimento italiano,
Museo Centrale del Risorgimento di Roma
With the support of
Armando Varricchio, Ambassador of Italy to the United States
Renato Miracco, Cultural Attache
Centenario Prima Guerra Mondiale 2014/2018
Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri
World War I Centennial Commission
National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial
Italian Cultural Institute in Washington DC
