Florence, restoration of Vincenzo Peruzzi monument in Santa Croce ends

The restoration of the funeral monument of Vincenzo Peruzzi, a key figure in the history of pre-unification Florence who played a crucial role in the city’s development, has been completed in Florence . The monument, located in the Santa Croce complex and housing the remains of gonfalonier Vincenzo Peruzzi (1789 - 1847), is the work of Odoardo Fantacchiotti and its restoration was made possible by Opera di Santa Croce and Inner Wheel Club Firenze Medicea.

The president of the Opera di Santa Croce, Cristina Acidini, and the vice-president of the Inner Wheel Club Firenze Medicea, Clara Falchi, presented the restoration this morning: the details of the intervention were explained by the Opera’s conservator, Eleonora Mazzocchi, and restorer Paola Rosa, who led the work with Emanuela Peiretti.

The monument, made of white Carrara marble, gray Bardiglio and Tuscan Portasanta, underwent a thorough cleaning operation. This restoration brought back the original beauty of the surfaces and colors of the various types of marble, making the carved details legible again.

Vincenzo Peruzzi, father of Ubaldino (historic mayor of Florence) and uncle of Bettino Ricasoli, distinguished himself in multiple fields. Among his contributions were the construction of the Leopolda railway, the management of gas lighting on the ancient Via dei Calzaioli, the construction of low-rent houses to deal with high-priced rents, and innovation in agriculture. He was also one of the founders of the Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze and provveditore of the Pergola Theater. In addition, he supported the Society for the Diffusion of Mutual Teaching, an educational system anticipating the experiences of Don Milani and the School of Barbiana.

Made in 1848, the monument by Odoardo Fantacchiotti, a scholar of 15th-century Tuscany, is a tribute to the Renaissance style, recalling the work of artists such as Bernardo Rossellino, Mino da Fiesole and Donatello. Vincenzo Peruzzi’s portrait, sculpted with touching naturalness, dominates the center of the monument. Only details such as the nineteenth-century clothing and the dates on the epigraph reveal to a trained eye that the work does not belong to the fifteenth century. The restoration of Vincenzo Peruzzi’s monument not only honors a leading figure in the city’s history, but also enriches the understanding of pre-unification Florence, keeping alive the memory of key figures of the past.

Florence, restoration of Vincenzo Peruzzi monument in Santa Croce ends

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