Following the success of the Tiepolo Ball at Palazzo Labia in 2019 and the Opera Ball at Gran Teatro
La Fenice in 2022, the House of Dior is delighted to write a new chapter in its collaboration with the Venetian Heritage Foundation, as partner of the Naumachia Ball, taking place on April 20, 2024.
This unique charity evening will be held in the Arsenale Vecchio of Venice, which will exceptionally open its doors. A symbol of the history and grandeur of the Serenissima, the Arsenal, built as early as
the 12th century, was for several centuries the world’s most important shipyard, reflecting the city’s economic, political and military power. A treasure trove of Venetian architecture, since 1999 this iconic site has played host to the International Art and Architecture Exhibitions of La Biennale di Venezia, as well as to numerous contemporary art exhibitions, while the Arsenale Vecchio, still occupied by the Italian navy, is usually closed to the public.
For this third occasion, Dior and Venetian Heritage pay a sublime tribute to the infinitely precious founding link between Venice and water. Entitled Naumachia, the theme of the ball will be naumachia, the spectacular aquatic re-enactments of naval battles that originated in the Roman Empire and were in vogue at European royal courts in the 17th and 18th centuries. An unprecedented event, celebrating not only Dior’s eternal fascination with art, but also the House’s ongoing desire to make culture and the many facets of creativity shine forth.
Continuing Dior’s commitment to promoting and preserving Venetian patrimony, the gala will raise funds
to support the restoration project of the Arsenale’s Porta Magna, and the renovation of the Ca’ d’Oro museum. An iconic jewel of the City of the Doges, whose poetic name Ca’d’Oro – literally “the House
of Gold“ – echoes the words of Jean Cocteau describing his loyal friend, Christian Dior, as “a light genius in tune with his time whose magical name includes God and gold“.
These passionate synergies between Dior and the foundation will enable work to be carried out in the spaces housing the museum’s permanent collections, to offer the public an unparalleled immersive experience while discovering masterpieces.
Through this extraordinary alliance, the Venetian Heritage and Dior seal the powerful historical dialogues between France and Italy, thus drawing a new bond between these two countries, in the name of inventiveness, beauty and solidarity.
