Florence, well-known jam-making company funds restoration at Chiostro Grande in Santa Maria Novella

A new restoration of the lunettes of the Chiostro Grande of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, which were heavily damaged by the 1966 flood that devastated the Tuscan capital and continue to need constant maintenance, can begin. The restoration project, which also includes new lighting, is fully financed by Rigoni di Asiago, a well-known producer of honey, jams and marmalades, which is accompanied by Fondaco srl, a company active in consulting and strategy in communication associated with the recovery and restoration of works of art and cultural heritage. The intervention, which is scheduled to end in December and can be viewed daily online at www.skylinewebcams.com, is part of the Florence I Care project, which the City of Florence has been carrying out since 2011 and which consists of seeking sponsors to finance restoration work on city cultural assets.

The Chiostro Grande of Santa Maria Novella had been awaiting restoration since 1966, when the Florence flood caused significant conservation damage to the frescoes in the lunettes: in an attempt to save them, they were detached from the original wall, then adhered to a new support and relocated in situ. The cuts from the removal are still visible, and all the scenes are quite depleted of material due to the tearing operation, although probably, without this type of intervention, the lunettes would have come down to us in much worse condition.

Over the years, the lunettes have undergone numerous restorations: however, the environment conducive to currents, airflows and dust deposits has meant that the pictorial surfaces have suffered from the accumulation of pollutants that have seeped into the paintings resulting in the loss of color and widespread inconsistent and shabby plastering. As is often the case with detached frescoes, dark stains can be seen that are due to animate glue that has not been completely removed on the painted surface, which has caused an attack of microorganisms. Therefore, the restoration work involves consolidating the pictorial surface, cleaning it of deposits of dirt, pollutants and inconsistent materials, removing old plasterwork, and applying new plasterwork against cracks and plaster falls. The restoration work, under the direction of the technical and fine arts services of Palazzo Vecchio, is being carried out by the Consorzio Edile Restauratori, a limited liability cooperative society in Florence. The intervention also includes the placement of a new lighting system to be installed by Enel X.

The room undergoing the intervention is one of the most valuable in the church: built from 1340 to 1360, it is part of the convent of Santa Maria Novella and is the largest cloister in the city. In 1565, Duke Cosimo de’ Medici had taken over the patronage of the church of Santa Maria Novella, partly because, moreover, following the arrival in Florence of his wife, the Spanish noblewoman Eleonora di Toledo, who died in 1562, the colony of her compatriots who had arrived with her from Spain used to gather in prayer in the church. From that date on, various members of the Spanish colony commissioned several of the most important artists of the time (such as Lessandro Allori, Santi di Tito, Bernardino Poccetti, Giovanni Maria Butteri, Cosimo Gamberucci, Ludovico Cardi known as il Cigoli, and Alessandro Fei known as del Barbiere) to decorate the lunettes with frescoes, most of which were executed between 1570 and 1590. There are fifty-two decorated lunettes, and it is one of the most extensive cycles of Counter-Reformation painting that exist in Italy.

In the 18th century the Cloister was finally rearranged in terms of the stone elements, and some lunettes that remained empty were painted. Since 1920, the Cloister has been part of the Carabinieri Marshals and Brigadiers School but recently, in 2016, it became part of the Santa Maria Novella Museum.

“At a difficult time for the entire cultural sector,” says Florence Mayor Dario Nardella, “it is particularly pleasing to see that some private entities, which by the way have already supported us in the past, still have interest, desire and passion in investing in supporting our artistic and cultural heritage. The municipality, which has been severely penalized by the pandemic, is pleased that it can continue this virtuous relationship between the public and private sectors that allows us not only to protect but to enhance and exalt our monuments.”

“Just in the past few weeks,” stresses Culture Councillor Tommaso Sacchi, “I have asked, together with other culture councillors of the most important Italian cities, to further extend the Art Bonus tool, which has proven in recent years to be able to collect and allow to optimize for the sphere of restoration of historical works and monuments, several million euros. Increasing the possibility of tax-deferred sponsorships and donations under the Art Bonus scheme to the widest possible number of cultural initiatives and investments could really be a powerful driver for restart.”

“With this corporate social responsibility initiative,” says Andrea Rigoni, CEO of Rigoni di Asiago, “we want to contribute to enhancing a place of extreme beauty and rich in history that contributes to making Florence splendid. We are launching the project in one of the most difficult moments for our country. I like to share this moment with you with the hope that it may represent a sign of positivity that starts from the Capital of the Renaissance and binds entrepreneurial logics to those of culture so that they translate into mutual strength. I would like to thank the City of Florence, the Soprintendenza Belle Arti e Paesaggio of Florence and Fondaco Italia for making it possible for us to participate in the initiative, which not only allows us to consolidate our relationship with art, culture and education, but also allows us to involve Florence.”

“We are very pleased to carry out the fourth intervention in Florence thanks to Rigoni di Asiago,” stresses Enrico Bressan, president of Fondaco Italia, “and to consolidate the collaboration with the City in this moment of profound change and great difficulty that affects everyone. For this reason, the restoration takes on even greater significance because it is full of energy and positivity thanks to the commitment and sensitivity of a family of entrepreneurs who believe in Italy and the value of its immense artistic heritage in this sort of Grand Tour that began in 2015. This is a strong signal that I hope can be a stimulus for other businesses and build, particularly with young people, a renewed spirit of belonging. I would like to thank the City of Florence and the Superintendence for their timely availability and collaboration, and Rigoni di Asiago for renewing their trust in our work.”

Florence, well-known jam-making company funds restoration at Chiostro Grande in Santa Maria Novella

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