- Title: WEST BANK: Renovation starts at the Church of Nativity
- Date: 13th 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 IN ENGLISH 'ROOF AND WINDOWS RESTORATION' TOURISTS INSIDE CHURCH OF NATIVITY VARIOUS OF MARCELLO PIACENTI, WORKER FROM ITALIAN PIACENTI COMPANY, POINTING AT THE ROOF ROOF UNDER CONSTRUCTION (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) MARCELLO PIACENTI, WORKER FROM ITALIAN PIACENTI COMPANY, 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) MARCELLO PIACENTI, WORKER FROM ITALIAN PIACENTI COMPANY, 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 ZIAD AL-BANDAK, PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT'S ADVISOR FOR THE CHRISTIAN AFFAIRS AT HIS OFFICE CLOSE OF PICTURE OF AL-BANDAK AND PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ZIAD AL-BANDAK, PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT'S ADVISOR FOR THE CHRISTIAN AFFAIRS, 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 cost around 3 million US dollars." VARIOUS OF WORKERS AT CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) MARCELLO PIACENTI, WORKER FROM ITALIAN PIACENTI COMPANY, 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 the world becomes interested in this very important church." MORE OF RENOVATIONS INSIDE THE CHURCH TOURISTS AT CHURCH
- Embargoed: 28th December 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: West bank
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA9IVMGWGCRC61PFBXIUD59BH70
- Story Text: Engineers have begun restoration of the ancient Church of Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. The renovation project is the first of its kind for 200 years.
However, the 4th century Church of the Nativity, built over the grotto where Christian tradition says Jesus was born, needs repairs.
The Italian company Piacenti Spa started in September to restore the roof of the century-old church.
"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," said Marcello Piacenti, worker from Italian Piacenti Company.
It is the first comprehensive renovation of the Nativity church since it was completed 1700 years ago.
"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," Piacenti added.
President Mahmoud Abbas announced the start of restoration in a ceremony in 2010 when he said the three churches -- Catholic, Armenian and Greek -- that administer sections of it agreed to the project.
The three Christian denominations have been historically present in the Holy Land, and have joint jurisdiction over the shrines.
The renovations of the West Bank's Nativity Church roof and windows will take up to a year and cost around 3 million US dollars.
"The first stage of the renovation of the roof of the church includes the roof and the wooden pillars, also the 38 windows. It cost around 3 million US dollars," Ziad Al-Bandak, Palestinian President's Advisor for the Christian Affairs told Reuters Television.
The church which draws millions of visitors annually was built on the site where Christians believe Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger. Around 2 million tourists visit the church annually.
"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 the world becomes interested in this very important church," Piacenti explained.
UNESCO declared in 2012 that the Church of Nativity had become an endangered World Heritage site. The declaration came at an annual meeting of the global cultural organisation's World Heritage Committee in St. Petersburg in Russia. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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