Khachkar di Sotk Erevan, Museo della Santa Sede di Echmiadzin Sotk , secolo XV

Vangelo di Drazark. Ritratto dell'Evangelista Matteo Manoscritto n. 6290, Erevan, Matenadaran Secolo XIII

Ivan Aivazovskij, Discesa di Noè dal Monte Ararat, 1889 Olio su tela, cm 128x117 Erevan, Galleria Nazionale dell'Armenia

A major exhibition, entitled "ARMENIA: IMPRINTS OF A CIVILIZATION", will open in the museums of St. Mark's Square on December 14, 2011. Hosting the exhibition will be the prestigious venues of the Correr Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the Marciana National Library.
The exhibition will mark the fifth centenary of the first book printed in the Armenian language. This exhibition will act as the official launch of the jubilee celebrations taking place in the Armenian capital Yerevan, a UNESCO World Book Capital for 2012.

The organization of the event is shouldered by the Armenian Ministry of Culture and the Foundation of Venice City Museums and is promoted by the National Committee for the Celebration of the Fifth Centenary of the Armenian Press (chaired by the President of the Republic of Armenia), the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, the Foundation of Venice City Museums, the Embassy of Armenia in Rome, the Special Superintendent for Historical, Artistic and Ethno-Anthropological Heritage and for the Central Committee of the Museums of the City of Venice and the Municipalities of the Lagoon, the Armenian Mekhitarist Congregation and the Marciana National Library.
Curators Gabriella Uluhogian, Boghos Levon Zekiyan, and Vartan Karapetian aim to provide an original approach to many of the exciting aspects of Armenian civilization. The halls of the three museums will be used in order to create a unique exhibition space that will display, through a parallel chronological and thematic approach, two hundred works from the major Armenian museum collections and libraries, both in Europe and Armenia. Particular thematic attention will be paid to: architectural, artistic, economic, religious and philosophical achievements.
A fully-illustrated catalogue, published by Skira, will accompany this unique exhibition and will include contributions from distinguished Armenologists on an international level, and, especially, members of the Italian academy.
Ancient steles engraved with the cross, brightly-colored miniatures, architectural memorials and holy relics preserved for centuries at the Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Echmiadzin (Armenia) will be accompanied by unique sound installations that recreate the aural landscape of medieval Armenia. Each visitor will, thus, walk along a fantastic path of historic Armenian heritage that will begin with the dawn of Christianity and extend well beyond the medieval period.
A major focus of the exhibition will be to show the long and fruitful experiences of the Armenian people with diverse communities and cultures from Europe to the Far East. In particular, through detailed historical documentation (including manuscripts and works of art), the exhibition will illustrate the development of the Armenian presence in Venice and their position within the Venetian society.
Thanks to the inclusion of several rare and precious manuscripts, another section will offer new perspectives on the development of Armenian historiography, literature, philosophy, science and theology.
An important segment of the exhibition will be uniquely devoted to shedding light on the practical realities of Armenian printing since 1512 and will include fascinating examples of printing in the dense network of Armenian colonies throughout the world. A special emphasis will be placed on the important tradition of the Armenian printing press in Venice, that reached its height of glory with the illuminated enlightened dedication of the academically-minded Mekhitarist Fathers.
Visitors to the exhibition in St. Mark's Square will have the opportunity to continue upon a tour that explores the sights of 'Armenian Venice' according to precise routes designed and designated by the curators.
The exhibition will remain open until April 10, 2012, while the sections uniquely dedicated to printing and to Venetian-Armenian relations (thereafter located at the Museum of the Mekhitarian Congregation on the nearby Island of San Lazzaro) will run until the end of August, 2012.

Information for the press:
Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia,, Ufficio Stampa: Riccardo Bon, tel.+390412715921; press@fmcvenezia.it; www.visitmuve.it;
AE Comunicazione d'Impresa, +39-02-760921 Adele Bandera - adele.bandera@aemedia.com Spazia Fiori - spazia.fiori@aemedia.com
ARMENIA. IMPRINTS OF A CIVILIZATION
Venice, Museo Correr, National Archaeological Museum and Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana
16 December 2011 - 10 April 2012

GENERAL INFORMATION
Venue: Museo Correr, National Archaeological Museum, Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Piazza San Marco, Venice
Vernissage: 15 December 2011
Open to the public: from 16 December 2011 to 10 April 2012
Opening times: until 31 March 10 am / 5 pm (ticket office 10 am / 4 pm);
from 1 April, 10 am / 7 pm (ticket office 10 am / 6 pm)

TICKETS
ST. MARK'S SQUARE MUSEUMS
A single ticket valid for Palazzo Ducale, Museo Correr, National Archaeological Museum (*) and Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana (**)

Full price 16,00 euro (***)
Reduced 10,00 euro
children aged 6 to 14; students* aged 15 to 25; escorts (max. 2) for groups of children or students; citizens over 65; staff* of the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali; holders of the "Rolling Venice Card"; FAI members

free entrance
Venetian residents (except for the exhibition "Venezia e l'Egitto" at the Doge's Palace until 22 January 2012); children aged 0-5; disabled people with escort; authorised guides*; interpreters accompanying groups;1 free tickets every 15 tickets with prior bookings; I.C.O.M. members.
*ID required

family offer: for families of two adults and at least one child (aged 6 to 18): one at ticket full price, the others at reduced tariff

school offer: 5,50 euro per person (valid from September 1st to March 15th)
For students of all schools levels accompanied by their teachers; a list of the students' names must be provided by the school

Corporate partnership
Reduced tickets at 12 euros to the Marciana Area Museums for:
- Trenitalia Clients (For customers of Frecciargento and Frecciabianca, international ticket holders with destination to Venice);
- Gruppo Save - Venice Marco Polo Airport (for all "Gruppo Save" employees upon previous presentation of an identification card issued by a company of Gruppo Save)
- TCI (Touring Club Italiano) Members
- Holders of "IKEA FAMILY CARD" (extensible exclusively for up to two people)

Special / Afternoon Ticket
This ticket grants one admission to each of the Museums of St. Mark's Square.
This ticket is valid: 1 pm - 4 pm
Buy only by veniceconnected.com

* Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e per il Polo Museale della Città di Venezia
**Direzione Generale per i Beni Librari, le Istituzioni Culturali e il Diritto d'Autore
*** The ticket includes the visit at the exhibition "Venezia e l'Egitto" at the Doge's Palace until 22 January 2012


INFORMATION
www.visitmuve.it
info@fmcvenezia.it
call center 848082000 (from Italy)
+3904142730892 (from abroad)

BOOKING
www.visitmuve.it
call center 848082000 (from Italy)
+3904142730892 (from abroad)