Following the success of the Tiepolo Ball at Palazzo Labia in 2019 and the Opera Ball at the Gran Teatro La Fenice in 2022, maison Dior writes a new chapter in its collaboration with the Venetian Heritage Foundation as a partner of the Naumachia Ball.
The unique charity evening took place at the Arsenale Vecchio in Venice, which exceptionally opened its doors for this event. Symbolizing the history and grandeur of the Sereníssima, the Arsenal, built in the 12th century, was for several centuries the most important naval shipyard in the world, reflecting the economic, political, and military power of the city. A treasure of Venetian architecture, this emblematic location has hosted the International Art and Architecture Exhibitions of the Venice Biennale since 1999, as well as numerous exhibitions of contemporary art. Meanwhile, the Arsenale Vecchio, still occupied by the Italian navy, is normally closed to the public.
For the third time, Dior and this foundation pay tribute to the infinitely precious founding bond between Venice and water. Titled Naumachia, the theme of the ball was the naumachia, the spectacular aquatic reenactments of naval battles originating from the Roman Empire, popular in the European royal courts of the 17th and 18th centuries. An unprecedented event that celebrates not only Dior’s eternal fascination with art but also the maison’s continuous desire to shine a light on culture and the many facets of creativity.
Continuing Dior’s commitment to promote and preserve Venetian heritage, the gala served to raise funds to support the restoration project of the Porta Magna of the Arsenale and the renovation of the Ca’ d’Oro museum. An emblematic jewel of the City of the Doges, whose poetic name Ca’d’Oro – literally “the House of Gold” – echoes the words of Jean Cocteau, who described his faithful friend Christian Dior as “a genius of light in tune with his time, whose magical name includes God and gold”.
These exciting synergies between Dior and the Foundation enable work to be carried out in the spaces housing the museum’s permanent collections, to offer the public an unparalleled immersive experience in discovering masterpieces.
Through this extraordinary alliance, the Heritage of Venice and Dior seal the powerful historical dialogues between France and Italy, establishing a new bond between these two countries in the name of inventiveness, beauty, and solidarity.
