Ferrara, finishes restoration of Cavalier d'Arpino's Holy Family

In Ferrara, the restoration of the important Holy Family by Giuseppe Cesari, known as Cavalier d’Arpino (Arpino, 1568 - Rome, 1640), which now returns to show visitors to the Ferrara Cathedral Museum in its original hues, has been completed. The intervention, carried out by restorer Sonia Radicchi, was made possible thanks to Opera Tua, a project for the enhancement of Italian cultural heritage by Coop Alleanza 3.0, carried out in collaboration with Fondaco Italia, the Association of Italian Heritage Sites and the patronage of the Italian Touring Club. As part of Opera Tua, the Ferrara painting won the “challenge” with Parma launched by Coop Alleanza 3.0, thanks to the numerous votes received via the web from Coop members, which enabled it to obtain the important support for its restoration. The restoration was carried out under the supervision of the Cathedral Museum and under the high supervision of the Soprintendenza Archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio for the metropolitan city of Bologna and the provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia and Ferrara (with responsible official Donatella Fratini).

“The intervention,” stressed the director of the Cathedral Museum, Giovanni Sassu, “now allows us to fully appreciate the great quality and superb colors of this marvelous painting, dated around 1627. A work that is still a child of Mannerism, understood as a form of extraordinary intellectualism; therefore, a work that is clamorously behind the times in art history, but, as such, most fascinating and timeless.”

Having rejoined the Cathedral Museum’s exhibition itinerary, in the room dominated by Jacopo della Quercia’s sculpture of the Madonna of the Pomegranate, which was also recently restored, Cavalier d’Arpino’s Holy Family tondo was officially presented to the press by Giovanni Sassu, the president of the Cathedral Chapter, Monsignor Ivano Casaroli, the Culture Councillor of the Municipality of Ferrara Marco Gulinelli, the board member of Coop Alleanza 3.0 Patrizia Luciani, Fondaco Italia president Enrico Bressan and Legacoop Estense president Andrea Benini.

“The Cathedral Museum,” recalled Councillor Gulinelli, “is managed together by the Cathedral Chapter and the City Administration thanks to an agreement that has worked well since 1929 and, among Ferrara’s museums, is perhaps the one most committed to the involvement of civil society. Today this dialogue has further expanded with the restoration of the Cavalier d’Arpino canvas, achieved thanks to the fine ’Opera Tua’ initiative and the 14,000 votes of Coop members in favor of Ferrara. The city administration thus wanted to offer a discount to Coop Alleanza 3.0 members, who will be able to access the Cathedral Museum at a reduced rate (3 euros instead of the 6 euros of the full ticket) from tomorrow until next November 21. This is a way designed to give the opportunity to those who, in fact, financed the restoration to admire in person the results of the beautiful work accomplished.”

“As the process of the Synod of Bishops that has just begun suggests to us,” said Monsignor Casaroli, “that of learning to walk together is a fruitful idea, because, even before the goal, it puts in the foreground the ability and the desire to create a team and to discover ourselves as bearers of the same desires. For the Christian community to call the Synod means setting out on the journey in the ancient and ever new conviction that what belongs to all must be dealt with by all and approved by all. Of this journey the Cathedral Museum is one of the most beautiful symbols we have in our city, because it is the fruit of the discovery that the whole is worth more than the sum of the parts. A whole that I feel like calling harmony, thinking precisely of the restored work by Cavalier d’Arpino and the room in which it has been placed, together with the sculpture by Jacopo della Quercia. The sacristy of the church of San Romano has thus become the ’hall of Harmony,’ because of the beauty it contains and inspires.”

“Restoration,” Sassu recalled again, “is not only an activity that serves to preserve works, but is also a discipline of knowledge of the works themselves. And in the case of Cavalier d’Arpino’s Holy Family, it allowed us to discover important details that were evidently modified in the eighteenth century due to ’changes in taste.’ Such as the globe, symbol of the world, which has now re-emerged under the child’s arm and had been transformed into a pillow. Details that make works like this one, the result of the mastery of only apparently ’minor’ authors in our art history, even more fascinating.”

Satisfaction for the result obtained with the ’Opera Tua’ project that enabled the restoration of the Holy Family was also expressed by Patrizia Luciani and Enrico Bressan, who emphasized the attachment to the territory and its artistic heritage demonstrated by Ferrara Coop members through the many votes cast in support of the Cathedral museum, “demonstrating that art and culture are still at the center of people’s interests, even in this particular period.”

Pictured is the work before and after restoration.

Ferrara, finishes restoration of Cavalier d'Arpino's Holy Family

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