Every two years, the World Monuments Watch issues a call to action for treasured cultural sites around the globe. Since 1996, when the Watch was founded with support from American Express, it has recognized 814 sites that face daunting threats or present compelling conservation opportunities, and... Read more
In 2011, Thailand experienced unprecedented rainfall, causing flooding and extensive damage to infrastructure throughout the country. Cultural heritage sites were greatly affected, including the magnificent temple complex of Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Ayutthaya. That same year, World Monuments Fund... Read more
On April 25, 2015, a major earthquake struck Nepal, taking the lives of thousands of people in the country and causing irreparable harm to others. With these tragedies, the country also faced widespread destruction of buildings, infrastructure, and scores of historic homes, religious sites, and... Read more
Mexico City’s Chapultepec Park is the oldest and largest urban park in Latin America, and one of the oldest urban parks in the world. The Chapultepec Park Trust, committed to the rehabilitation of the park and the reactivation of underused areas for public enjoyment, has carried out many projects... Read more
After a devastating earthquake struck Mexico City in 1985, World Monuments Fund partnered with local institutions to carry out the restoration of three important modern mural cycles by Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco that had been seriously damaged. Since that first project, we have been... Read more
In 2016, World Monuments Fund began a restoration project at the First Baptist Church in Mawlamyine, Myanmar. Originally constructed in 1827 by American missionary Adoniram Judson, the church continues to function as an active place of worship for the local community. With support from the U.S.... Read more
The 2016 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize is awarded to the team behind the preservation and rehabilitation of the Justus van Effen complex in Rotterdam, the Netherlands: Molenaar & Co. architecten, Hebly Theunissen architecten, and landscape architect Michael van Gessel. The award... Read more
On November 4, 1966, unprecedented flooding hit Venice, causing tremendous damage to the historic city and many of its buildings. World Monuments Fund, then the International Fund for Monuments, was among the earliest respondents to the devastating natural disaster. In the decades following the... Read more
Since its launch in 1996, the World Monuments Watch has brought attention to the conservation needs of 790 cultural heritage sites in 135 countries and territories. For hundreds of sites, the Watch has served as a catalyst for action, leading to improved safeguarding of places of cultural... Read more
The World Monuments Watch, WMF’s signature advocacy program, is a call to action that brings the fragility of cultural heritage sites to international attention. In its twenty-year history, the World Monuments Watch has presented 11 cycles that included a total of 790 sites in 135 countries.
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