An international conference in Pisa to mark the centenary of the reconstruction of the Pisan Pergamum

On May 25 and 26, 2026, theOpera della Primaziale Pisana is organizing the international conference Per Giovanni Pisano a cento anni dalla ricostruzione del Pergamo di Pisa, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the recomposition of Giovanni Pisano’s Pergamum in Pisa Cathedral (1926-2026). The conference will be held at the Giuseppe TonioloAuditorium in Piazza Arcivescovado and will bring together some of the leading scholars engaged in the study of the three large pergamos created by the artist, in Pisa, Siena and Pistoia.

The conference will take place over two days. The first, scheduled for May 25, will be devoted to the history of the reconstruction of the Pisan Pergamum and the cultural framework in which it matured. Marco Collareta of the University of Pisa will open the talks, while the session will be chaired by Max Seidel of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, considered one of the most authoritative experts on Giovanni Pisano. Through the contributions of art historians and specialists in the field, a significant page of 20th-century Italian restoration will be reconstructed. The second day, on May 26, will instead focus on the themes of protection and conservation: the conditions of the Pergamon of Pisa will be examined by comparing them with the studies and experiences gained on the pulpits of Siena and Pistoia, encouraging a comparative and multidisciplinary reading. On the concluding afternoon of May 26 there will be a panel discussion coordinated by Gerhard Wolf of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, in which Rachel Boyd of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Emanuela Daffra of theOpificio delle Pietre Dure, Giuliano Romalli of the Central Institute for the Digitization of Cultural Heritage - Digital Library, Luigi Oliva of the Central Institute for Restoration and Valerio Tesi, Soprintendente Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the provinces of Pisa and Livorno.

One of the most significant aspects of the initiative is the choice to broaden the gaze beyond the Pisan context: the theme of the conservation of Giovanni Pisano’s scrolls is approached through different but integrated perspectives, including advanced diagnostics, digital twin, polychromy studies and structural monitoring. This is a confrontation between institutions, methodologies and visions of restoration that rarely find an opportunity for such an open and shared dialogue. The participation of Fabrizio Magani, Director General of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of the Ministry of Culture, together with the Archbishop of Pisa Saverio Cannistrà and Superintendent Valerio Tesi, confirms the high institutional and scientific level of the conference. Indeed, the initiative interweaves art-historical research, expertise in the field of conservation and the ecclesial dimension, fully reflecting the identity of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, represented by President Andrea Maestrelli.

The conference is open to the public and is aimed in particular at art historians, restorers, scholars of the history of restoration and all professionals involved in the protection and enhancement of medieval sculpture. The presence of speakers from different realities, such as universities, superintendencies, central institutes and international museums, with different methodological approaches and sensitivities, makes this appointment an important opportunity to discuss the current state of conservation of Italy’s great medieval marble artifacts.

The conference is held under the patronage of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Pisan Primatial Church, and with the collaboration of the Central Institute for Restoration and the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the provinces of Pisa and Livorno.

“This conference stems from the awareness that the Pergamum of Pisa cannot be understood, nor preserved, except in dialogue with the other great works of Giovanni Pisano. One hundred years after its recomposition, it was right to open a reflection that would look beyond the boundaries of our institution, gathering around a table the most authoritative national and international expertise,” said Andrea Maestrelli, president of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana.

An international conference in Pisa to mark the centenary of the reconstruction of the Pisan Pergamum

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