Does reading the Venice Charter help the good Lord when He moves out? Considerations for expanding the Venice Charter to prevent the loss of church monuments

Abstract

The Catholic Church owns too many monuments and too few members to maintain them. A true loss for our society is looming. Experts in preservation, politicians, and Church officials are aware of the problem. They respond with resolutions and guideline documents. The compliance of the Charter exerts a restraining influence on the development of responsible strategies for dealing with the abandonment of monuments. Examining the situation of the Church, shows the importance to enhance the priority of this desideratum. Holzhausen is developing an instrument from Vitruvius's criteria for buildings (firmitas, utilitas, venustas) to address it. She complements the terms with historia to achieve and reinforce the heritage conservation emphasis. Holzhausen’s concept enables a process of dialogue between owners, users and professionals when a decision on disposal of a monument becomes necessary. The inclusion of this concept in the Charter would be decisive and should warrant a sustained shift in perspective.