Diesel boss to fuel Rialto restoration

Diesel founder Renzo Rosso has found a novel way to spend his fashion gains, with reports that the entrepreneur is planning to sponsor the restoration of Venices Ponte di Rialto.

By ELLE UK and NonePublished: 29 July 2011

<p>A Diesel model superimposed on the Rialto Bridge</p>

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Although there hasnt been an official announcement, sources told WWD that Rosso will devote 5m to the restoration of the Venetian landmark.

The Rialto Bridge, which spans the Grand Canal, is a must-see for any visitor to Venice, but high foot traffic has taken its toll on the 400-year-old structure. Earlier this year, a column on the bridge collapsed, and cracks have appeared on its marble steps.

Rosso follows in the footsteps of Diego Della Valle, the Tods founder who has thrown his monetary support ($36.5m of it) behind a three-year restoration of the Colosseum in Rome. Della Valle has exhorted the Italian business community to finance restoration and conservation plans in the absence of government support. Prada, Bulgari and Louis Vuitton are among the fashion companies funding work on important palazzo and religious sites through Della Valles Project Italia.

Diesels headquarters are in Breganze, just 44 miles from Venice.

It's good for the companies' images but it's also a civic commitment by people with wealth, Giorgio Orsoni, the mayor of Venice, told The Telegraph.

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