(By Massimo Lomonaco)
A film by Tommaso Santi on
the ongoing restoration of the Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem by Prato-based firm Piacenti has been presented in Tel
Aviv.
The movie called "Restaurare il cielo", or restoring the
sky, on Wednesday night was screened at the Italian cultural
institute in Tel Aviv directed by Massimo Sarti, showing for the
first time to the Israeli public - usually unable to travel to
Bethlehem in the West Bank - the different phases of renovation
being carried out by one of the top firms in the sector.
Safeguarding cultural heritage is "a priority for Italy",
said Italian ambassador to Italy, Francesco Maria Talò, at the
presentation.
The firm's president, Giammarco Piacenti, called it an
historic renovation by Italian experts in one of the holiest
sites of Christianity.
Piacenti noted after the screening that the ongoing work not
only required technical know-how but also the ability to manage
a complex restoration in a volatile region.
Talò noted at the event that Italy has protected cultural
heritage sites in Iraq and Afghanistan and "is ready to do it
wherever there will be an occasion", citing the creation of
Italian task force 'Unite4Heritage', the "blue helmets of
culture".
The task force, including officers from Italy's Carabinieri
military police art squad, was set up thanks to an agreement
between Italy and UNESCO last year as part of the global
campaign 'Unite4Heritage' powered by the organization to protect
cultural heritage sites.
The film 'Restaurare il cielo' focuses on the restoration
work that has been ongoing since 2013 on the church, a UNESCO
world heritage site.
The church was built in the 4th century by Constantine's
mother, Queen Helena.
It was destroyed in the 5th century and then rebuilt by
Emperor Justinian in 531.
Traditionally considered the birthplace of Jesus, it
suffered extensive damage over the centuries.
A preliminary study on the monument was carried out in 2010
by a multidisciplinary group coordinated by the University of
Ferrara's Consorzio Ferrara Ricerche, which won an international
competition to carry out the research.
Piacentini in 2013 won an international tender launched by
Palestinian authorities with funding provided by several private
donors.
The restoration is being carried out by some 60 firms and
170 people - mainly Italian experts who have moved to the
Palestinian city to restore the church from damage caused by,
among others, water infiltration.
Restorers are renovating and mapping mosaics and have
discovered a large mosaic of the 'seventh' angel of the church,
found with a thermography that made it possible to detect it
under a solid surface.
It rejoined the six other angels at the church.
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