FENDI for FOUNTAINS Restoration

The City of Rome presented the restoration projects for the Trevi Fountain and for the Four Fountains under the patronage of Fendi, sole patron, as part of the “FENDI for FOUNTAINS” initiative. The Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno; the Assessor of Cultural Affairs and of the Historical City Centre Dino Gasperini; the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage for Rome Umberto Broccoli together with Pietro Beccari, Chairman and CEO of Fendi; Karl Lagerfeld, and Silvia Venturini Fendi, have presented the motivations which led to the agreement between the Roman fashion house and the City of Rome. At the heart of the agreement is the preservation of one of the most important and symbolic Roman and Italian monuments following a complex restoration intervention, whose time frame, logistics and schedule were also announced during the press conference. Last summer, the City of Rome carried out an emergency intervention on the fountain costing 320,000 euro. A meticulous screening of the monument later established the critical nature of the situation, after which the Mayor launched an appeal to large companies and to private individuals to carry out an act of social patronage.

The fashion house Fendi immediately answered the Mayor’s call for help and is happy to be able to contribute to the conservation project, financing it as sole patron. The historic Roman fashion brand - which boasts a deep bond with the Eternal City and has always looked to it for endless inspiration and cultural stimuli - stood out among the many donors thanks to its willingness to cover the costs of the entire restoration intervention on one of the most cherished symbols of Rome, which also constitutes part of humanity’s cultural heritage. The Restoration of the Trevi Fountain is the first in a series of conservation interventions which FENDI intends to support through “FENDI for FOUNTAINS”, a project aimed at restoring and safeguarding historical fountains in the city of Rome through a continuous, widespread preservation effort of the Capital’s historical-artistic heritage. Indeed, during the signing of the agreement on December 14th 2012, Fendi not only covered the costs of the restoration intervention on the Trevi Fountain (2 million 120 thousand Euros), but it also made a significant contribution towards the cost of the restoration intervention on the Four Fountains, located on the corner of the namesake street with Via XX Settembre.

The time frame for the restoration works required to restore the most photographed fountain in the world  to its original splendour, for the citizens of Rome and for the tourists, is of approximately 20 months from the commencement of restoration works, and is scheduled to end by 2015 (subject to a public invitation to tender for the restoration project). Whilst the award of business activity for the restoration of the Four Fountains is expected to take place by the end of 2013, following a public invitation to tender by restricted procedure. At the end of the restoration works, a plaque will be hung near the restored fountains, for a maximum of 4 years, featuring the City of Rome’s acknowledgement and thanks to Fendi. The building site reviews will not include any advertising or references to the patron, which will however be mentioned on the building site signs alongside the brand’s logo.