Restorers in Firenze complete Giotto's frescoes of St. Francis

Restorers have completed a four-year project to renew Giotto's fresco cycle depicting the life of St. Francis of Assisi in the Bardi Chapel of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. The work, carried out by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure and promoted by the Opera di Santa Croce, improved the readability of the paintings and provided new information regarding the techniques used by Giotto and his assistants.

The six large scenes in the chapel are based on the Legenda maior by Bonaventura da Bagnoregio. The restoration received support from the Ministry of Culture, the Fondazione CR Firenze, ARPAI, and private donors including Veronica and Dominique Marzotto and William von Mueffling. The project was accompanied by the Giving4Giotto campaign. The completion of the work coincides with the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis.