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| March 18,
2002 |
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- Conclusion of restoration work and reopening
of Chapel to the general public.
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| January 18, 2002 |
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- Restoration is moving towards "the finishing
line". The state of progress was described at a press conference
in Padua attended by the mayor, Giustina Mistrello Destro; by the under-secretary
for the cultural heritage, Vittorio Sgarbi; by Maria Stella Spampinato,
representing ICR; and by the project designer and works director, Giuseppe
Basile. Participants included members of the International Committee
of experts on wall-painting restoration, the Scientific Committee for
the international congress on Giotto (to be held in late 2002) and the
interdisciplinary commission for the restoration of the Scrovegni Chapel.
During the conference, the new website "Giotto agli Scrovegni"
was presented, produced by ICR (www.icr.arti.beniculturali.it/scrovegni.htm),
which makes it possible to follow the restoration online, and allows
visitors to immerse themselves completely in the Florentine master's
work.
After the press conference, Vittorio Sgarbi and Giuseppe Basile conducted
a "guided" tour of the work-site enabling participants to
admire the restored frescoes from the scaffolding platform.
As of January 2002,
the following work had been carried out:
- 90% of the frescoes restored. Still outstanding,
the base with the figures of the Vices and Virtues, the Last Judgement
on the end wall, the part depicting the Inferno (cleaned but with lacunas
still to be treated).
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A start had been made on restoring the other wall
paintings in the apse (by various artists), as well as those in the
presbytery (School of Giotto) and the marble funeral monument to Enrico
Scrovegni. Still to be carried out (though not included in the original
project and in the financial plan), work on the statue of Enrico at
prayer, in the sacristy; the marble altar statues by Giovanni Pisano;
and also the Chapel's ornaments and fittings.
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Furthermore, ICR is continuing its campaign
to make people more aware of Giotto's work in Padua; this campaign,
in addition to the website presented here, includes the virtual reconstruction
of the original appearance of the wall paintings.
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| November 14, 2001 |
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The first results of the restoration project
are presented at a press conference in Rome, held by the Minister
for the Cultural Heritage, Giuliano Urbani, together with the mayor
of Padua, Giustina Mistrello Destro; the director of the Central Institute
for Restoration, Almamaria Mignosi Tantillo; and the director of the
work-site, Giuseppe Basile. Participants included many of the restorers
and scientists working on the project in Padua.As of November 14,
the following results had been achieved:
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Restoration of high risk areas complete (except
for the Inferno, where work is still in progress) as well as other
areas, for a total of about 40% of the whole painted surface, corresponding
to 26 frames, as well as the end wall (but not the Inferno and the
scene with Enrico Scrovegni offering up the Chapel to the Virgin)
as well as a large part of the star-studded roof vaulting.
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Urgent conservation work complete on high
risk areas, such as the Last Judgement on the end wall, the Mission
to Mary and the Annunciation (especially badly damaged following the
demolition of the adjacent palazzo in 1824, which provided support
for the Chapel), the Ascent to Calvary, Christ among the Elders, the
Wedding Procession, the Presage of Mary's death and a large part of
the roof vaulting. These urgent works were made necessary by the drastic
effect of a recent cause of deterioration - atmospheric pollution,
which causes the pigment to crumble away and fall off.
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Attenuation of the colour differences due
to restoration work carried out in the past (Botti and Bertolli in
the late 19th century, Tintori in the early 1960s), by means of visually
lowering the lacunas, or by filling them "a tratteggio"
always with water-colour so as to ensure that the process can be reversed.
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| July 3, 2001 |
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- The first phase is completed, on this cycle of world-famous
wall paintings by the Florentine maestro, Giotto, in the Scrovegni Chapel
in Padua. Now the real restoration project starts, after preparatory
work that has lasted over twenty years (scientific surveys, research,
tests, etc.).
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| May 31,
2000 |
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- The Ministry for the Cultural Heritage and the Padua
City Council (owner of the Chapel since 1881) sign a protocol of understanding
which includes financing by the Ministry for the sum of 3.5 billion
lire, for restoring the Chapel. The work is conducted by the Central
Institute for Restoration (ICR), which had also been commissioned to
restore Giotto's frescoes in Assisi, after the earthquake.
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