Thursday, November 8, 2012 hours 14:30
The restoration of the ex voto of the Sanctuary of San Romano

Thursday, November 8 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. - Saletta Rosi
Cavaniglia Pavilion, Fortezza da Basso, Florence

The 100 ex-voto of the Sanctuary of San Romano in Montopoli in Val d'Arno (Pisa), which survived to the damages caused by the time and by the various disasters, date back to a period of time ranging from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century. The oldest is from 1521 and testimonies the "grace" to a person sentenced to death in Rome.
Each of the ex-voto is made up of two elements: the human reality in need of salvation and the heavenly epiphany, Mary, who intervenes to save her, appearing from heaven, wrapped in a divine light.
The wooden panels of various sizes, often painted in oil or tempera by local artisans or by the same "pardoned", realistically depict the divine intervention which solved serious illnesses, accidents, shipwrecks and other adverse events.These works though not having a great artistic value, testify, in addition to domestic devotion, some interesting aspects of daily life, furniture, customs and costumes.
Recalling the UNESCO Declaration of 1976, these works produced by anonymous artists should be retained and treated in terms of conservation for future reference as the works of the great masters of the past.
During the meeting will be detailed the various techniques and methodologies used by the Institute’s instructors durino the intervention of conservation of twenty ex-voto.

Speakers: Matteo Brena, Paola Mariotti, Natalia Materassi

web site