Disasters & destruction
Cape Town wildfire 'guts' university library that houses anti-apartheid archives and one of the world’s largest African film collections
Blaze has ripped through the Reading Room of the Jagger Library at the University of Cape Town
France gives €500,000 towards reconstruction of Beirut's blast-hit Sursock Museum
French aid will restore the stained-glass windows and Arab salon of the historic villa, which was severely damaged in port explosions last August
Fire destroys the ‘Sistine Chapel of the Purépecha Plateau’ in Mexico
Art historian who knew the building best says the Indigenous community who worshipped in the unique 16th-century church should decide what will replace it
Ethiopian heritage under attack as reports of massacre emerge
Eyewitnesses say Eritrean military stormed an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Axum, killing hundreds
A year after fire, Museum of Chinese in America launches digital platform with Google to celebrate its historical treasures
Viewers can track the recovery after the blaze and view hundreds of images of the New York museum’s artefacts
New hope that ancient Palmyra will be rebuilt after Isis damage
Deal between the Syrian government and Russian masonry body builds on country’s research into state of archaeological site
Clearing the 'voice' of Notre Dame: Paris cathedral's great organ meticulously removed for refurbishment
Huge operation to hoist the instrument out of the fire-ravaged building has taken four months
Finally, rebel experts come to the rescue of Unesco’s failing World Heritage programme
New organisation, Our World Heritage, is putting Unesco's feet to the fire
Historic churches of Naples are at risk from sinkholes
Researchers have identified nine buildings that require a “quick response” and a further 57 places of worship that could suffer from future cavity collapses
Attacker sprays oil in Berlin museums, damaging sarcophagi, sculptures and frames
Sixty-three objects were sprayed with an oily liquid on 3 October at the Pergamon, Neues Museum and Alte Nationalgalerie
Brighton's Madeira Terrace, a unique Liverpool cemetery and a 17th-century public library among English heritage sites at risk
Entries on Historic England Heritage at Risk list, published today, have risen to 5,097
Museum of Memory dedicated to victims of state violence wins prize in Nicaragua
While its physical location was closed by the combined impact of government reprisals and the global pandemic, the museum lives on as a digital space
Vandals smash statue of Mary Magdalene in French chapel—apparently because she is naked
A note was left at the scene by the perpetrators saying they “did not accept” that the saint should be “represented in such a way”
Unesco, Icom and Louvre rally to help Beirut as museums tackle extensive explosion damage
A coalition of international museums and heritage organisations are working to provide expertise to Lebanese institutions
MaXXI to open new museum in earthquake-ravaged L'Aquila in October
Contemporary art outpost of Rome museum will be housed in an 18th-century palace rebuilt with Russian government funds
Beirut's art world mourns widespread death and destruction following explosions
With homes, galleries and studios entirely destroyed, Lebanese artists respond in the aftermath of Tuesday’s carnage
After CCTV footage is released, tourist who damaged Canova sculpture turns himself in
Italian court may press charges after three toes on the statue were broken
Huge explosion in Beirut decimates city and leaves art scene in disarray
Several galleries and museums have been destroyed or severely damaged following the blast and fire that shook the Lebanese capital on Tuesday
Snap! Tourist takes a selfie on a 19th-century Canova sculpture—and breaks off two toes
Concerns raised about how the visitor gained access to the Paolina Bonaparte cast
Rescue and assessment efforts underway for gutted Brazilian museum
Maintenance was under par at Museum of Natural History and Botanical Gardens of the University of Minas Gerais
The unluckiest museums in the world? Croatia faces string of natural disasters
Zagreb was hit by an earthquake in March at the height of Covid-19, and now by a severe storm
Security questions remain after Nantes cathedral blaze: 'There's no European country where church fires are this common'
An arson investigation has been launched into the fire at the Gothic St Peter and St Paul Cathedral in western France
International Criminal Court trial begins of Jihadist police chief accused of destroying Timbuktu’s cultural heritage
Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud is on trial for war crimes in Mali
With demolition of Oslo's Picasso-Nesjar murals imminent, Norwegian sculptor’s daughter speaks out
Carl Nesjar’s daughter talks about the Norwegian sculptor’s long collaboration with the Modern master and shares exclusive images of the pair
The destruction of Australia’s ancient Aboriginal heritage
Plus, art under threat in Putin's Russia and George Shaw on Thomas Jones. Produced in association with Christie's
Suspected arson damages Andy Goldsworthy’s Spire in San Francisco’s Presidio park
The 100ft-tall sculpture is still standing after a major blaze, but crews will determine if it can remain in place
Unesco's plan to ‘revive spirit’ of devastated Mosul gets under way
Initiative involves local communities in rebuilding their historic landmarks and neighbourhoods
Mining company Rio Tinto apologises for destruction of 46,000-year-old Aboriginal site
Blasting of two ancient rock shelters at Juukan Gorge was authorised in 2013 by Western Australia state government
Significant art emerged from traumas of the past—will the pandemic prove different?
As the coronavirus crisis stretches on, we look at how artists have captured confinement in recent history and what is being done now
Explosion in chemicals factory threatens Venice with cloud of toxic smoke
The fire is now under control, but the mayor warns people to stay indoors and keep their windows closed