Beato Angelico’s Fiesole Altarpiece Returns to Its Church, Restored, Thanks to Friends of Florence

Beato Angelico ’s Fiesole Altarpiece has returned to the Church of San Domenico—the church for which it was originally created—following a major restoration project made possible thanks to the support of Friends of Florence. The work was also recently featured in the major exhibition dedicated to Beato Angelico organized by the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo di San Marco. The conservation project was carried out under the supervision of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Florence and the Province of Prato. Daniele Rossi oversaw the restoration of the painted surface, while Roberto Buda worked on the wooden support. The project was funded thanks to the generosity of Janet and Jim Dicke II, The Jay Pritzker Fund, Ben Quinones, Tom and Ann Fries, Kent and Celia McClelland, and Jeff and Nancy Moreland, through Friends of Florence.

Painted between 1420 and 1423 for the high altar of the Church of San Domenico in Fiesole, the altarpiece is one of Beato Angelico’s most important works, created while the painter was still residing at the Dominican convent in Fiesole, before his move to the convent of San Marco in Florence. Considered one of the masterpieces of the early Florentine Renaissance, it depicts the Madonna and Child enthroned, surrounded by eight adoring angels and flanked by Saints Thomas Aquinas, Barnabas, Dominic, and Peter Martyr. The presence of Saint Barnabas alludes to the name of the patron, the wealthy Florentine merchant Barnaba degli Agli.

The work was originally created as a triptych on a gold background, characterized by cusps, small pilasters, and a predella in the late Gothic style. In 1501, it was radically transformed by Lorenzo di Credi, who was commissioned to adapt it to the new canons of Renaissance art. While fully preserving the figures painted by Beato Angelico, the artist altered the architectural structure and the background, replacing the traditional gold background with a dramatic classical-style architecture opening onto the landscape and transforming the triptych into a single-panel altarpiece.

During the nineteenth century, the painting underwent further alterations and suffered losses. The original predella, now housed at the National Gallery in London, was separated from the altarpiece along with the small saints that adorned the side pilasters; these were subsequently dispersed on the antiquities market. Despite these events, the Fiesole Altarpiece continues to serve as an extraordinarily valuable testament to the transition from the Late Gothic to the Renaissance, bringing together in a single work the contributions of two leading figures in Florentine painting: Beato Angelico and Lorenzo di Credi.

The most recent restoration project, entrusted to Daniele Rossi, also providedan important opportunity for study and in-depth analysis. The diagnostic examinations and research conducted during the restoration allowed for a more precise reconstruction of the work’s complex conservation history and a better understanding of its execution techniques and the transformations it has undergone over the centuries. The examinations also made it possible to identify elements of the altarpiece’s original composition, including the configuration of the throne painted by Beato Angelico and subsequently concealed by Lorenzo di Credi’s intervention.

The conservation project addressed both the wooden support and the painted surface. Roberto Buda restored the wooden structure by removing structural elements introduced during previous interventions that were no longer suitable, consolidating the panels, and creating an innovative elastic support system capable of accommodating the wood’s natural movements and ensuring its better preservation over time. At the same time, the cleaning of the painted surface removed oxidized varnishes, altered retouching, and incompatible additions, restoring full clarity to the colors, the gilding, and the refined quality of Beato Angelico’s paint. Subsequent restoration work finally reestablished the visual unity of the work, while fully respecting its historical authenticity and the principles of modern conservation.

“The restoration of the altarpiece is a project of great value for the entire Fiesole area. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Friends of Florence Foundation, the Dominican community, and all those who made this important restoration project possible. A work of extraordinary historical, artistic, and spiritual value is thus returned to the community and to the many visitors who come to Fiesole each year,” stated Cristina Scaletti, Mayor of Fiesole.

“I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Friends of Florence for funding this restoration in conjunction with the exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi,” said Antonella Ranaldi, ABAP Superintendent for the Metropolitan City of Florence and the Province of Prato. “Our Superintendency closely monitored every stage of the work, which was carried out with great professionalism by restorers Daniele Rossi and Roberto Buda. This was a significant—and in some ways necessary—intervention: first and foremost because the Fiesole altarpiece is an intrinsically extraordinary work, revealing at an early stage the talents of the young Fra Giovanni da Fiesole, who was destined to become one of the leading figures of the Florentine Renaissance. At the same time, the altarpiece proved to be an extremely complex and delicate work, which, over the course of its history, has suffered from the ravages of changing tastes and the tempting offers of the antiquities market. The admirable intervention by a “restorer” of the caliber of Lorenzo di Credi in 1501 transformed Angelico’s gold-ground triptych into a splendid Renaissance panel, but at the same time it was the cause of numerous critical issues. And while previous interventions had unwisely immobilized and stiffened the wooden components, this restoration aimed to restore the natural mobility of the various panels, allowing for constant monitoring of the work’s condition. It was therefore a truly fascinating case study, destined to serve as a model for future interventions. And for this, too, we are grateful to Friends of Florence.”

“The works of Beato Angelico have always held a special place in the hearts of our donors and represent one of the most significant projects that Friends of Florence has had the privilege of supporting over the years. From the Museum of San Marco to our collaboration with the Prado Museum, including Palazzo Strozzi and this important project at the Church of San Domenico in Fiesole, the restoration of Angelico’s works has been a continuous opportunity for us to learn and discover,” emphasized Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda, President of Friends of Florence. “We are particularly pleased that the Fiesole Altarpiece can now return to the church for which it was conceived over six hundred years ago. Following its restoration and inclusion in the exhibition dedicated to Beato Angelico, this return restores the work to its historical, spiritual, and liturgical context, reaffirming the value of collaboration among institutions, scholars, conservators, and donors in safeguarding Florence’s cultural heritage. Our heartfelt thanks go to the Dominican Fathers, the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Florence and the Province of Pistoia, to Daniele Rossi, who led the restoration, to Roberto Buda for his work on the wooden support, and to our generous donors Janet and Jim Dicke II, The Jay Pritzker Fund, Ben Quinones, Tom and Ann Fries, Kent and Clelia McClelland, and Jeff and Nancy Moreland, who have made this important conservation and educational project possible.”

Beato Angelico’s Fiesole Altarpiece Returns to Its Church, Restored, Thanks to Friends of Florence

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.