2008 Annual Report - World Monuments Fund

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The huge growth of cultural tourism throughout the Americas in recent years has brought visitors to some of the most remote parts of the hemisphere and inundated some of its most famous places, from national parks in the U.S. to pre-Columbian sites in the Yucatán. Tourism has opened new opportunities for many of these sites, which are beginning to gain recognition among travelers seeking destinations off the beaten path. Our programs in the Americas this year focused on preparing for or managing expanded tourism in order to preserve heritage sites. Americas The 14 BuEnos airEs, argEntina La Merced Church Visited by thousands of tourists each year, the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced is often included on tours of the historic center of Buenos Aires. Built between 1733 and 1779 on the site of an early-17th-century church, it was originally part of the monastery of Mercedarios, one of the oldest in the city. A neo-Renaissance façade was added to the building in 1894, when Argentinean architect Juan Antonio Buschiazzo renovated the structure and its interiors. The church was declared a National Historic Monument in 1942 in recognition of its architectural and cultural importance. Despite this designation, some of the interior furnishings and decorative elements have deteriorated to varying degrees, but the overall plan remains intact. World Monuments Fund is supporting the development of a conservation master plan that will include a detailed survey and documentation of the site. Already completed is the first phase of the stained glass conservation, which involved removing the windows, cleaning the glass, replacing the lead cames, and reassembling and reinstalling them in their original positions. In addition, urgent conservation work has been completed, the state of the altar and the organ have been addressed, and the façade has been stabilized enough to allow work to continue. The master plan will address other immediate needs of the site as well as the long-term stewardship and maintenance of the building.
Left: Detail of the “Christ and Children” stained-glass window, before and after restoration. Below: Interior of La Merced Church. 15
Page 1 and 2: 2008 Annual Report
Page 3 and 4: Contents 2 From the Chairman and th
Page 5 and 6: Cultural Legacy World Monuments Fun
Page 7 and 8: Disaster Response We cannot leave o
Page 9 and 10: San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylilla
Page 11 and 12: ADGB Trade Union School, view of th
Page 13 and 14: Above: The Blue Mosque Left: Taraba
Page 15: Bulla Regia Archaeological Site bUl
Page 19 and 20: ChiloÉ, ChilE Chiloé Churches The
Page 21 and 22: Jesús Nazareno Church in Atotonilc
Page 23 and 24: the conservation and stabilization
Page 25 and 26: Haji Piyada Mosque (Noh Gumbad) bal
Page 27 and 28: Top: The Salon de Musique, Arsenal
Page 29 and 30: various loCations Jewish Heritage P
Page 31 and 32: italy Tuff Towns The hill towns of
Page 33 and 34: Joniškis Synagogue Complex JonIšK
Page 35 and 36: Puning Si grant On hand to announce
Page 37 and 38: ladakh trip Right: During a summer
Page 39 and 40: World Monuments Fund WMF Contractua
Page 41 and 42: Mr. and Mrs. Eugene V. Thaw The Joh
Page 43 and 44: WMF Board of Trustees Officers The

2008 Annual Report - World Monuments Fund

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