- Title: WEST BANK: Christmas restoration work at Bethlehem's Church of Nativity
- Date: 14th December 2013
- Summary: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 11, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CHURCH OF NATIVITY VARIOUS OF RENOVATIONS ON THE ROOF OF THE NATIVITY CHURCH TOURISTS ENTERING NATIVITY CHURCH SIGN READING (English): "ROOF AND WINDOWS RESTORATION" TOURISTS INSIDE CHURCH OF NATIVITY VARIOUS OF WORKER FROM ITALIAN PIACENTI COMPANY, MARCELLO PIACENTI, POINTING AT THE ROOF ROOF UNDER CONSTRUCTION (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) WORKER FROM ITALIAN PIACENTI COMPANY, MARCELLO PIACENTI, SAYING: "We will try to leave it with the same look because this is a church which is very important for humanity, it is one of the oldest and most important. We are very excited to be working here, we have the responsibility to safeguard everything. It will look the same. We prefer not to change things but to restore them, or at best strengthen from above. There is a whole technology involved." VARIOUS OF WORKER RENOVATING THE CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) WORKER FROM ITALIAN PIACENTI COMPANY, MARCELLO PIACENTI, SAYING: "This is a family business. We have worked for generations, for four generations. We are used to working in places that are particularly holy and artistically important, but here I must say our emotions are particularly strong because the roots of this church go back more than 2000 years. It is really incredible." VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT'S ADVISOR FOR THE CHRISTIAN AFFAIRS, ZIAD AL-BANDAK, AT HIS OFFICE PHOTOGRAPH OF AL-BANDAK AND PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT, MAHMOUD ABBAS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT'S ADVISOR FOR THE CHRISTIAN AFFAIRS, ZIAD AL-BANDAK, SAYING: "The first stage of the renovation of the roof of the church includes the roof and the wooden pillars, also the 38 windows. It costs around three million US dollars." VARIOUS OF WORKERS AT CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) WORKER FROM ITALIAN PIACENTI COMPANY, MARCELLO PIACENTI, SAYING: "I hope that everyone realises the condition the church finds itself in. It hasn't been restored or had major maintenance done on it for more than 200 years. I hope people are made aware of this because it is very important. We will put our all into it and I hope that people become interested in this very important church." VARIOUS OF RENOVATIONS INSIDE THE CHURCH TOURISTS AT CHURCH
- Embargoed: 29th December 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: West bank
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAAVCH5BIRHLG2FZC3AD51WUK3W
- Story Text: People visiting Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity this Christmas will find it under restoration for the first time in 200 years.
Work on the roof of the 4th century church, built over the grotto where Christian tradition says Jesus was born, began in September.
Marcello Piacenti from the Italian Piacenti Company says all efforts will be made to ensure there is no change to the church's appearance.
"We will try to leave it with the same look because this is a church which is very important for humanity, it is one of the oldest and most important. We are very excited to be working here, we have the responsibility to safeguard everything. It will look the same. We prefer not to change things but to restore them, or at best strengthen from above. There is a whole technology involved," he said.
It is the first comprehensive renovation of the church since it was completed 1700 years ago.
Piacenti says it is a special experience for his company to be working on a church of such significance.
"This is a family business. We have worked for generations, for four generations. We are used to working in places that are particularly holy and artistically important, but here I must say our emotions are particularly strong because the roots of this church go back more than 2000 years. It is really incredible," he said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the restoration at a ceremony in 2010 where he said the three Christian denominations, Catholic, Armenian and Greek, that administer sections of the building had agreed to the project. Historically present in the Holy Land, all three have joint jurisdiction over the shrines.
Abbas's Advisory for Christian Affairs Ziad Al-Bandak says the first stage of the restoration will take up to a year to complete.
"The first stage of the renovation of the roof of the church includes the roof and the wooden pillars, also the 38 windows. It costs around three million US dollars," he told Reuters Television.
Each year, around two million people visit the church, built on the site where Christians believe Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger.
Piacenti says he hopes people realise how important it is to do the restoration.
"I hope that everyone realises the condition the church finds itself in. It hasn't been restored or had major maintenance done on it for more than 200 years. I hope people are made aware of this because it is very important. We will put our all into it and I hope that people become interested in this very important church," he said.
Last year the Church of Nativity was placed on UNESCO's list of endangered World Heritage sites. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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