A major restoration project becomes an opportunity to rethink life in St. Mark’s Square, the political and social heart of Venice.

Occasioned by the conclusion of the Assicurazioni Generali restoration projects of the Procuratie Vecchie, directed by David Chipperfield, and of the Royal Gardens, curated by Paolo Pejrone, this volume is about a strong desire for renewal and renovation, collecting ideas and insights on the role played by these important historical sites in the Marciana area of the city of Venice.

Understood as a vital monumental complex and community space, in this volume St. Mark’s Square is at the core of critical reflections offered by Italian and international authors, of conversations with the key players of this process, of the projects carried out by the architects involved, and of the visual interpretations of the area by major photographers, so as to convey the richness and complexity of a vision for the future of the Lagoon city; all this within the framework of a process of social and cultural innovation, on which the launch of The Human Safety Net Foundation—one of the new players to inhabit the recovered spaces on St. Mark’s Square—is based.

A group of experts from different backgrounds and fields of expertise have been invited to describe this delicate and complex project, illustrating the plurality of intentions and visions that constitute the distinctive feature of this initiative, offering a representation of a new square around which people can meet and communicate, seeing Venice as a workshop for our future.