People

by Sandro Pintus

We must speed up the time
needed to restore the works of art

Interview with Dr.ssa Cristina Acidini,
Vicariate Head of Artistic and Historic Assets for the Province of Florence, Pistoia and Prato

Dr.ssa Acidini, can you explain the reasons behind this exhibition? The exhibits are just a sample. They are intended to represent the 10 per cent of the works in need of restoration. They include restored works, others that we are still working on and works that have not as yet been touched, partly because of lack of money and partly because their restoration involves tremendous technical difficulties, especially for the paintings on wood. We must speed up the time needed to restore the works of art so that they can be carried out by those who are working on them today, because later generations will not know how to intervene.

One of the panels from the
Doors of Paradise by Ghiberti
immediately after the flood (Photo Torrini Fotogiornalismo©1966)

How do you think you can find the necessary money to complete the restorations? We are already studying other initiatives but, meanwhile, we have at least been able to discuss this problem with the Minister of Artistic Assets, Walter Veltroni, on his recent visit to Florence. We have already received a first reaction from various associations whose members include craftsmen who are prepared to carry out the restoration of some of the church furnishings free of charge. However it would also be a good thing if the schools talked more about this problem so that people continue to remember it.

The Christ in wood of which,
during the flood, whose origin,
thanks to the flood, is today unkown and which has now been "adopted" in order to restore it.

How many people have visited the exhibition since it was opened a month ago? For the moment we are unable to make a precise calculation, because, as entrance is free, we can only judge by the number of signatures in the visitors' book. These are roughly one hundred a day with many more over the weekends. Most of our visitors are Florentines who want to remember what happened by looking at the works on display but a great many foreign tourists come too. See also: "Saved from the Waters", a treasure to admire at Palazzo Vecchio

FAN-Florence ART News
by
Silvia Messeri & Sandro Pintus