The restauration of Giotto’s Crucifix has been accomplished

The restauration has been made by a team of masters of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, under the supervision of Mario Ciatti.
The big cross was removed from the church in 1987, but the restauration hasn’t started before 1995.
A series of scientifical analyses has been made first, to verify the condition of keeping of the masterpiece. Through radiographs restorers saw the most delicate parts of the painting and discovered some nails, wich were very week and didn’t sustain the structure. Through infra – red rays they could see Giotto’s sinopite under the painting.

Finally the restorers cleaned the painting and consolidated the parts of colour wich had detached.
This cleaning permits now to appreciate the many graduation of colour and many details, as drops of blood on the stones under Christ’s feet.
By the way, the masterpiece will not be immediately visible, because scolars have to decide about its placement. Perhaps the cross was originally placed in the middle of the nave; after it was placed on the inner façade, where it still was in 1987.
Now restorers would like to put the cross where it was originally, but there are some problems to solve, including armony with the structure of the church, wich has changed, from the one Giotto saw.

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