A soldier with broken shoes, those hats all different from each other, the figures that are reflected in the water, so tiny that they cannot overcome the usual distance of those who turn their eyes to the images of The legend of the true cross Of Piero della Francesca. Details of a fifteenth-century wonder enclosed by the Bacci Chapel of the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo, revealed to the team directed by Simone Vettori of Iconos Restauri, which gave new light to the pictorial cycle of the Renaissance master. «A privilege» he explains Marta Ferrari45-year-old freelancer originally from Castel San Giovanniwho together with colleagues Letizia Villardi and Chiara Pozzati, was involved in the exceptional “live” construction site – also open to the public and always sold out – from January to March. (In the photo below Marta Ferrari with Simone Vettori)
First his studies at the Institute for Art and Restoration of Palazzo Spinelli, then in 2005 Ferrari graduated in Sciences and Technologies for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage in Parma, with a thesis dedicated to Botticelli’s “Piacentina” work, the Tondo of the Pinacoteca of Palazzo Farnese. There the meeting with the Roman group involved at the time in the restoration of the painting and the start of collaborations: the first works in Cremona, the Sala dei Teatini in via Scalabrini, the interventions at private individuals and the registration in the list of restorers. In 2017 the move with his family in Sesto Fiorentino and new collaborations, including the leading one with Iconos Restauri, with which he took part in the restoration of the Animal Cave of the Medici villa in Castello. Then the call – “very exciting” – to come face to face with Piero della Francesca’s masterpiece, to verify and review the state of conservation of the twelve scenes created by the artist from Sansepolcro, for the purposes of localized consolidation interventions.
«A visual reconnaissance of everything, with grazing light and diffused light, however see every inch of the wall paintings of the Bacci Chapel” says the restorer. «There are not only frescoes, but also areas with dry, egg tempera and oil finishes. We have mapped the degradation phenomena, marking them point by point with specific items, for example surface detachment, degradation of the paint film, etc. Afterwards we moved on to the mechanical removal of the inconsistent surface deposit and the consolidation of the plasters, between plaster and plaster, exclusively those that were mobile and therefore at risk of falling. The scaffolding was also accessible to visitors, so they could witness the restoration live and enjoy an unprecedented vision of the works”.
What experience was it? «A privilege, I’m lucky. Those who do this job always have the opportunity to see the works up close, it is very beautiful and this experience was particularly beautiful; there raking light it allows you to reveal technical details that cannot be observed in any other way, for example the canvas used to keep the plaster wet, in many places you can see the imprinted texture. There richness of detail, otherwise invisible, is impressive: the faces of people reflected one by one in a river where very small swans swim, the number of stars depicted in the sky of the scene from The Dream of Constantine. Each figure stands out from the other. All headdresses are different, helmets decorated differently and this also applies to clothing: a soldier wears broken shoes.”
What struck you the most? «How the artist created it dusting. The technique involves creating the drawing on cardboard, then perforated with dots and placing it on wet plaster. A pad with dark pigment inside – such as bracino or soot – is tapped on top of the cartoons and imprinted on the wet plaster, on which painting begins. In these paintings the dusting is “very defined”, the single ear of a character has an infinite number of dots. Every day was the discovery of a new detail.”
Why did you become a restorer? «I really wanted to do this job, I have always been fascinated by it. I have always liked to paint, even if this is not a work of fantasy or for artists, but I am very satisfied when we finish the work and I see the works return to their origin. At the beginning I was “obsessed” with paintings, then when I discovered the world of construction sites I became more and more fond of wall paintings and frescoes; it is more fun and varied, even if more tiring.”
Is taking part in a construction site like this an achievement? “Absolutely. I arrived here seven years ago and I never thought I would be able to work so much and on such important interventions.”
Are there more job opportunities for those who do restoration work than in Piacenza? «There are certainly many more opportunities here, but also much more competition. The main difference, as far as I’m concerned, is that in Piacenza eighty percent of the interventions I worked on concerned state or Church assets, while in Florence it is almost the opposite: there are many private clients who ask for intervention to restore a chapel or decoration in their building. My favorites are the grotesques, very funny: I dream of being able to work on the “original” ones one day.”
