Giotto: il restauro del Polittico di Badia = Giotto : the restoration of the Badia Polyptych

Abstract

The book documents the complex restoration work done on Giotto's Badia Polyptych, now at the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence. The polyptych, completed by Giotto between 1295 and 1300, depicts the Madonna and Child with saints Nicholas of Bari, John the Evangelist, Peter and Benedict; the tondo in the central gable portrays the Blessing Christ, and angels are represented in the other four. Greatly damaged by the passage of time - like many other works by Giotto - the Badia Polyptych was restored using the latest methods, which are completely non-invasive, in order to restore the work's original splendour without altering any of its original characteristics. The use of these state-of-the-art technologies marks a watershed in the restoration of ancient works of art.