The Restoration of Pietro Lorenzetti's Arezzo altarpiece

Hello Everyone!

This is the first article for a while as I have just returned from Italy where I spent the better part of two months, together with a few days in London. Those of you who follow me on Facebook will know that I came back to Australia with a mission: to raise money to help with the restoration of an altarpiece painted by the Sienese artist, Pietro Lorenzetti. This article will explain a little more the reasons why I have chosen to make this a 'cause', and, I hope, will also stimulate some of you to contribute something to the restoration. An account has been opened to accept donations in Australia but there is an account in Italy as well. Please contact me for details.

In this close-up (here shown horizontally) of the sword held by the saint in the top left-hand compartment in the photo below, is Pietro's signature, in Latin; it reads: PETRUS ME FECIT (Pietro made me).

Pietro Lorenzetti was born in Siena in about 1280 and died there, it is thought in 1348. He was the older brother of Ambrogio Lorenzetti, famous amongst other things for the frescos known as the Allegories of Good and Bad Government in the Town Hall (Palazzo Pubblico) of Siena. Pietro also did some important frescos in the lower church of San Francesco at Assisi.

This photo shows the complete altarpiece, painted in 1320-24, which measures 298 x 309 cm; it was taken before the restoration began. 

My interest in this work goes back to sometime in the 1990s when I lived in Italy (1989-1994). I visited Arezzo several times in those years - and have done several times since,  most recently this year - and, apart from visiting the church of San Francesco where the extraordinary frescos of Piero della Francesca are (in the Bacci chapel, the Legend of the True Cross), I usually tried to see the other churches as well. One of these, also in the centre of Arezzo, is the so-called Pieve or parish church of Santa Maria; apart from being itself a fantastic, ancient structure, it is the home of Pietro Lorenzetti's wonderful altarpiece. This painting, a polyptych painted in tempera on wood panels, was exhibited on the altar which stands in a raised part of the apse, accessible by staircases on either side. It always struck me as odd that such a magnificent work of art was there, alone and apparently unguarded! Normally, I had this masterwork to myself and I found it fascinating in that way that one might find a handsome or beautiful foreigner intriguing or fascinating: I loved looking at it even though I couldn't really understand its language!

This picture was begun in 1320 on the commission of the bishop at that time, a certain Guido Tarlati. It was painted for the high altar of the Pieve and that's where I have always seen it. It is interesting - and almost incredible - to reflect that when I first saw it, this painting was almost seven centuries old and now, in three years' time, it will actually be 700 years old! Perhaps this is one reason why I can claim to have only a superficial understanding of its language!

A close-up, taken in the laboratory of RICERCA in Arezzo, of the central panel of the altarpiece: the small white areas are where earlier restorations have been removed, an initial phase of almost any modern restoration.

Recently, in June this year, I was back in Arezzo and, remarking to some friends that I wanted to visit the Pieve and the Lorenzetti, I was told that it was not there, but being restored at a studio in Arezzo (RICERCA Studios); however, since the restorers were friends of my friends, that we could drop in and have a chat to them. This we did and I was very fortunate to meet two of the three extremely highly-skilled women doing the work. One of them explained exactly what was happening to the various panels of the altarpiece, by now dismembered and lying on different tables, in varying early stages of the restoration. It was also explained that, although they had all the necessary permissions from the Italian government to actually proceed with their work, they had no money! At this point, and given that Pietro's masterpiece had for so long had a hold on me, I offered to try to help them raise some funds, if possible, enough funds, to complete the job.

Another photo taken in the restorers' laboratory (studio) at the request of Beatrice, one of my Arezzo friends; she was particularly interested in Pietro's rendering of the buttons on the saint's garment!

This wonderful piece, for some years now, has spoken to me and that is why I want to support its restoration today. Since the 1990s and right up to the present day, I have seen so many things restored in Italy, everything from statues and paintings to palaces and churches; the difference between 'before' and 'after' is that between night and day, or black and white. I expect the same will be the result of the restoration of Pietro's beautiful work underway now.

Another Pietro painting, about1315, this time from the Museo Horne in Florence: notice the buttons on the shoulders!

The two photos above show the interior of the Pieve di Santa Maria at Arezzo together with the usual position of Pietro's altarpiece; in the church, for the time being, the altarpiece has been replaced by a 'life-sized' digital photograph, which is what you can see here.

Further details of the restoration in Arezzo can be found by doing a Google search which will take you to various articles, in both English and Italian, about the restoration; you will also find information about the restorers doing the job and their laboratory which is called R.I.C.E.R.C.A.

By the way, in case anyone is thinking of a trip to Italy which may include Arezzo - which I would strongly recommend - in the same church, i.e. the Pieve, there is another recently restored fresco, on one of the pillars on the same level as the Pietro: Saints Francis and Dominic, attributed to Andrea di Nerio (1331-1369). See photo below. Naturally, there are many other notable and beautiful things to see in this building alone, not to mention numerous other important works of art in different places in the city.

Saint Dominic by Andrea di Nerio

Incidentally, the bishop Tarlati who commissioned the Lorenzetti altarpiece died in 1327; his imposing and very interesting monument can be seen in the Cathedral of Arezzo, together with many other important things, including the Magdalen by Piero della Francesca.