Restoration of Donatello's San Marco begins. It will be carried out by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure

The Orsanmichele Museum has entrusted one of its masterpieces to the care of theOpificio delle Pietre Dure: it is Donatello ’s San Marco (Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi; Florence, 1386 - 1466). The intervention was deemed necessary by the direction of the Bargello Museums (of which Orsanmichele is part) because of the sculpture’s state of conservation. The work, made in marble after 1412 and withdrawn in 1977 from its placement in the first niche on the south side of the church of Orsanmichele (each niche was presided over by one of the “arti,” the professional guilds of ancient Florence: that of San Marco was the niche of the Linaioli and Rigattieri), was restored a first time between 1984 and 1986.

At that time the bronze-colored patination, made after 1789 with the intention of matching the marble statues to the color of the others, made, precisely, of bronze, was removed. With the first removal work conducted by the Opificio, the flowing naturalness of the modeling of St. Mark was recovered, as well as faint traces of gilding in the edges of the robe, on the cushion under the feet, on the Gospel blanket, in the sandals, and in the beard and hair. When the restoration was completed, it was decided to permanently remove the work from the exterior, with the cast being made in 1990, again by the Opificio. Since then the work has been permanently placed in the Orsanmichele Museum. The new intervention is necessary to heal some brownish marks that have formed on the surface of the work and are possibly due to the old patination (but the origin of this problem will be ascertained only after the research campaigns that will be conducted on the work).

“After the restoration of the bronze relief depicting Donatello’s Crucifixion preserved at the Bargello Museum,” says Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda, president of the Friends of Florence association supporting the restoration, “we are happy to participate as donors in the study and conservation of the San Marco by the same author. For us this is a very important intervention, as it will help to understand how to restore not only this one, but also the other statues in Orsanmichele. We therefore thank the Bargello Museum and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure for involving us, giving us the opportunity to deepen our knowledge of one of the masterpieces of the early Renaissance together with restorers.”

Diagnostic investigations have already started and based on their results the restoration project will be decided soon. The work is being conducted under the scientific supervision of Matteo Ceriana, former curator of the Orsanmichele Museum, with Francesca De Luca, who succeeded him in the position, and Riccardo Gennaioli, head of the Restoration of Stone Materials Sector of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, with the advice of a technical committee consisting of Lorenzo Lazzarini (IUAV), Marisa Laurenzi Tabasso (Central Institute for Restoration) and Daniela Pinna (University of Bologna).

Pictured: Donatello, Saint Mark, detail (post 1412; marble; Florence, Museo di Orsanmichele)

Restoration of Donatello's San Marco begins. It will be carried out by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure

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