Giotto's restoration site starts up
From the 26th of April the preparation of the work site for the restoration of the wall paintings inside the Bardi chapel begins.
The object of the works are the Stories of St. Francis, painted by Giotto between 1317 and 1321 and considered an absolute masterpiece of the artist's maturity.
The Stories of Francis in the Bardi Chapel are based on the biography written by Bonaventura da Bagnoregio and depict different scenes taken from the life of the Saint: the Renunciation of Worldly Goods, the Confirmation of the Rule, St. Francis appears to the Chapter at Arles, the Trial by Fire, the Death of St. Francis, some post-mortem miracles and the Stigmatisation of St. Francis.
The Bardi chapel has suffered various, tormented conservation procedures and has a particular relevance in the process that marks the birth of the great Italian restoration tradition. 61 years after the last intervention on this work, a new one is now necessary, deemed essential for conservation and particularly precious to deepen our knowledge of Giotto's techniques.
The restoration, which will last three years, has been entrusted by the Santa Croce Opera to the Opificio delle Pietre Dure with the decisive support of the Association for the Restoration of the Italian Artistic Heritage (ARPAI) and the CR Florence Foundation, as well as the Ministry of Culture.