The Water Museum of Venice
About this good practice
The Water Museum of Venice aims to assemble the most significant examples of the rich but fragmented heritage of the water civilizations’ of the Tre Venezie through an innovative online platform and a number of digital itineraries. Their platform use the free open-source app Izy travel, available in multiple languages to facilitate the localization of the 70 sites for the visitors.
The Water Museum of Venice is a network of 70 waterway sites welcoming 400 000 visitors per year and a digital museum - an "extended" museum, composed of concrete physical places. It is part of a research strategy implemented by the University of Venice and created by the International Center for the Civiltà dell'Acqua Onlus (a local NGO), to mitigate the effect of mass tourism in the Venice region.
The Water Museum of Venice is a challenge towards building a better future. It is addressed to citizens and authorities who believe wholeheartedly in preserving the quality of all water, whether surface or underground, as well as the cultural and natural heritage.
Resources needed
A full team of 10 persons is required to run the network.
The launch of the pilot project was made possible thanks to the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Padova e Rovig, the UNESCO Regional bureau and the Veneto region, through the Interreg Central Europe YouInHerit project until 2020.
Evidence of success
The Water Museum of Venice is a founding member of the UNESCO’s Global Network of Water Museums, a flagship initiative of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme of UNESCO with the aim of better using water heritage and and museums to improve water management via communication and education activities.
The Global Network of Water Museums is an association of 60 Water Museums in 28 different countries, welcoming 25.000.000 Visitors per year.
Potential for learning or transfer
The Star Cities partnership was particularly interested in the use of audio-guided paths through the app Izy Travel. A free and open-source tool – also offering automatic translation – available for the valorisation of local river heritage. A process that can be easily replicated in all territories with only the time and the will to do it.
Despite unprecedented technological progress, water today is increasingly threatened by pollution, waste, degradation of its quality and even indifference. Water heritage and water museums are a key aspect for local development and sustainable tourism and sustainable mobility to build a more sustainable future.
To this end, the Water Museum of Venice also incorporates a section on good current practices (projects to revitalize water ecosystems, regenerate aquifers, etc.) as an expression of a more enlightened contemporary “Culture of Water”.
Further information
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Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Water Museum of Venice