The Restoration Exhibition 2025: Ferrara becomes the world center for heritage conservation

From May 14 to 16, 2025, the city of Ferrara will host one of the most prestigious and relevant events in the field of restoration: the Salone del Restauro. An event that, with its 30th birthday, renews its international reputation, consolidating its role as a point of reference for the sector. Certified ISO 25639:2008 by ISFCERT - Institute for the Certification of Statistical Data for Trade Fairs, the Ferrara Exhibition is recognized as the world’s leading event dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage.

This year’s edition will be a crossroads of innovation, research and training, an opportunity for professionals, institutions and companies in the sector to meet, network and discover the latest innovations in the field of restoration. The exhibition layout will be designed to foster a dynamic and engaging experience, with a space designed to stimulate discussion on the most current issues in the field. The integration of new technologies, sustainability and innovative solutions in conservation will be the focus of the event. From advanced diagnostics to materials management for restoration, EXPO 2025 is set to present a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing the future of the industry.

"RESTAURO cuts an important milestone this year, celebrating 30 years of excellence in the conservation and enhancement of historic, artistic and environmental cultural heritage," says Andrea Moretti, president of Ferrara Expo. "Always a point of reference for the sector, the exhibition event continues to distinguish itself by bridging knowledge and know-how, effectively combining tradition and innovation. Ferrara Expo will welcome professionals, experts and enthusiasts ready to share knowledge, projects and best practices, thus helping to outline scenarios and priorities for the discipline. With a high-level formula, RESTAURO 2025 consolidates its role as a catalyst for the development of new approaches, technologies and methods for the enhancement and conservation of our heritage. This is an unmissable opportunity for those who want to be key players in change in an increasingly relevant field."

“Taking care of artistic and cultural heritage means taking responsibility for elaborating and implementing long-range strategies aimed at preserving its integrity,” says Lucia Borgonzoni, Undersecretary for Culture, “to restore it to its former glory, to defend it from the environmental, natural or anthropogenic risks it might incur as well as to promote its value to the widest possible public. This is an action in which our country excels, entrusted to the skilful work of professionals whose skills are called upon as models throughout the world and which we have a duty to pass on through our schools of higher education. The International Environmental Cultural Heritage Fair represents an unmissable opportunity to reaffirm the Ministry’s commitment to the protection of our beauty, history and national identity.”

A program full of initiatives

This year, the Salone del Restauro will have a special focus on start-ups, bearers of innovations that are transforming the landscape of cultural heritage restoration and conservation. At a time when environmental challenges and sustainability are at the center of international debates, the Salone stands as a starting point for building a sustainable future for the sector. Every participant will have the opportunity to explore new solutions for the protection of cultural heritage by participating in workshops, seminars and hands-on meetings with experts in the field. An opportunity to engage with global realities, starting from leading companies in the field of restoration materials and equipment, to research institutes and cultural institutions.

There will be no shortage of special attention to safeguarding assets damaged by environmental disasters, a topic of global relevance in a period marked by climate change and increasingly frequent catastrophic events. Integrated and sustainable resource management will be one of the main topics of discussion, with a special focus on the recovery of cultural heritage in emergency situations.

Restoration between tradition and innovation

In the context of this 30th edition, the Salone will promote a dialogue between the past and the future. Restoration, in fact, is not only a conservation practice, but also an act of creation that combines craft traditions with technological innovations. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore how advanced technologies, such as 3D geometric surveying, can transform the conservation of monuments and works of art, enabling increasingly precise and heritage-friendly interventions.

At Ferrara Expo, there will be numerous hands-on workshops, interventions by research institutes and universities, which will help define the new horizons of restoration and conservation. Scientific research will play a central role, with insights into the latest restoration techniques and how digitization can improve the work of experts in the field. In an event that will involve the entire city, it will be impossible not to notice the interconnection between the world of restoration and that of cultural tourism, which will see its role strengthened. Heritage enhancement experiences are becoming increasingly crucial to the growth of local economies and sustainable tourism that respects the history and culture of places.

A program full of international alliances and collaborations

The 30th edition of the Salone del Restauro is not only an exhibition event, but also a moment for key players in the sector to meet and compare notes. Thanks to the support of strategic partners such as the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Assorestauro and Intesa Sanpaolo, the Salone will have a full program of events, conferences and dedicated activities. The 2025 edition will see the participation of international delegations and will offer numerous spaces for discussion and networking.

An important new feature will be Restoration Week, which will take place May 12-16, an event that will bring to Italy more than 50 delegates from countries such as Albania, Saudi Arabia, China, France, Greece, Iran, the United States and others, ready to discover Italian excellence in the field of restoration. During the week, these experts will explore Italy’s most innovative construction sites, then converge in Ferrara where the Salone will become the final stage of this international experience. This edition of the Salone will also be enriched with new thematic areas, where interdisciplinary dialogue and technological innovation will be interwoven with tradition and culture. Thanks to the collaboration with associations such as AIDI and APIL, the fundamental role of light in the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage will be explored. The Salon, therefore, aims to be a fertile ground for new ideas, concrete proposals and the strengthening of public-private synergies.

Admission to the event will be free, subject to mandatory registration on the official website www.salonedelrestauro.com

The Restoration Exhibition 2025: Ferrara becomes the world center for heritage conservation

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.