UNESCO Cambodia mourns the loss of Prof. Giorgio CROCI

It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we have learned of the passing of Professor Giorgio CROCI on April 16, 2021, at the age of 85.

Professor Giorgio CROCI’s first encounter with Cambodia and the site of the UNESCO Angkor World Heritage site dates back to 1994, when UNESCO arranged a mission of heritage experts in Cambodia for the safeguarding of Angkor. He was one of the important experts of the ICC-Angkor (The International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor) who remained faithful and demonstrated unwavering commitment to safeguarding the Cambodian heritage as an Ad Hoc Expert for Conservation for more than 20 years.

Professor Giorgio CROCI was a Professor of Structural Engineering at La Sapienza University in Rome, where he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1960. He was a member of the UNESCO Ad Hoc expert group for the preservation of the temples of Angkor since 1994 and participated in the activities of the ICC-Angkor from its very beginning until 2015, when he separated from this position due to illness. As a coordinator of the international group of experts, he has tremendously contributed to formulate a document entitled Recommendations for the Conservation and Preservation of Angkor Monuments.

From 1995 to 2005, he was the Chairman of the International Scientific Committee for Analysis and Restoration of Structures of Architectural Heritage at ICOMOS (International Council of Monuments and Sites) and served presently as its Honorary Chairman. He was also a UNESCO international expert for heritage sites including the Pyramid Plateau, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Aksum, etc. In March 2000, he was awarded by the Académie d’Architecture (Paris) with the silver medal, as the individual who had the most contributed globally to the safeguarding of world’s heritage. In 2008, he was also awarded by the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano the national gold medal for outstanding merits in the fields of Culture and History.

Prof. CROCI’s demise is a great loss to the heritage conservation field. His contribution to the preservation of heritage in the world will remain in our memories and valued deeply.