‘Face to Face’ With Giotto at Church of Santa Croce
Face to Face with Giotto is an initiative that allows residents of the 41 towns and cities that make up the greater Florence metropolitan area to visit the restoration site of the Bardi Chapel in Santa Croce, with Giotto di Bondone frescoes, for free. An important early Renaissance pioneer, Giotto (1267 – 1337) is acknowledged one of the most influential Florentine and Italian painters, known for his use of realism and rudimentary perspective, paving the way for the artist revolution that was to follow. This opportunity to admire his frescoes in person and experience the restoration process as it unfolds will be possible from October 2024 to July 2025.
To see Giotto’s Stories of Saint Francis, a reservation is required. The visit lasts approximately one hour, including 40 minutes for the actual tour, with the option to visit the Santa Croce complex as well. The free tours will take place on weekends, in groups of up to five participants, who will explore Bardi Chapel and observe the restoration site alongside the qualified staff responsible for preserving and renovating Giotto’s masterpieces. This initiative is being conducted by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (OPD) and the Opera di Santa Croce, with help from the Fondazione CR Firenze and the ARPAI Association, both of which support cultural places, artistic venues, and Italian artistic heritage.
Throughout the years, Giotto’s Stories of St. Francis have suffered significantly. For example, in 1730, the frescoes were concealed with a lime wash. Fortunately, in 1851, they were rediscovered and restored by Gaetano Bianchi. In the 1950s, they underwent another restoration by Leonetto Tintori, who decided to remove some unnecessary additions to the frescoes. Thanks to the current restoration work, more has been discovered about hidden details, lost color fragments, and earlier decorations, likely geometric in nature. The discovery of holes, which were used for to mount scaffolding, has also provided insight into the exact structure that Giotto assembled in order to paint.
The Bardi Chapel, located in the Santa Croce church, was commissioned by the Bardi family, an influential banking family from Florence. They decided to commission Giotto, even then an exceptionally distinguished and admired artist, to decorate the chapel. He painted the frescoes between 1317 and 1321, depicting the biography of Saint Francis. Giotto’s intention was not only to narrate the life of the saint from Assisi but also to create a parallel between the lives of St. Francis and Jesus Christ. The frescoes in the Bardi Chapel are designed to be viewed from the center of the space. When creating the upper scenes, Giotto considered that they would be seen from below, as evidenced by the foreshortened building in the Renunciation scene. Inside the chapel, the scenes should be read horizontally from left to right, depicting the most significant moments in the life of St. Francis. The Renunciation of Worldly Goods is followed on the opposite wall by the Confirmation of the Franciscan Rule, the Apparition at Arles by the Trial by Fire, and the Death of St. Francis by the Vision of his Ascension.
Giotto was born in Vespignano (Vicchio) near Florence, as the son of a poor shepherd. He was a student of one of the most influential pre-Renaissance artists, Cimabue. However, he did not merely follow his master but developed his own distinctive painting style. Notably, when creating Stories of Saint Francis, he transcended the firm rules of his era, delving into his characters’s thoughts, facial expressions, gestures, and emotions.
#Giving4Giotto is a fundraising campaign dedicated to conserving Giotto’s Stories of Saint Francis. It has been over 60 years since the last conservation intervention, and this time the work involves the entire chapel. The restoration is expected to be finished by the summer of 2025. After its completion, the scaffolding will remain in place for some time, allowing visitors to admire Giotto’s work up close. Visitors can contribute to the restoration by donating. More information is available at: https://www.santacroceopera.it/en/support-us/giotto-project/ (donations can be made from Italy, Europe, or the U.S.A).
The reservations can be booked on the Fondazione CR Firenze website: https://fondazionecrfirenze.it/progetti/a-tu-per-tu-con-giotto/.
Besides Florence, towns in the greater metropolitan area include Fiesole, Calenzano, Sesto Fiorentino, Campi Bisenzio, Signa, Lastra a Signa, San Cascianao, Scandicci, Bagno a Ripoli, Pontassieve and Borgo San Lorenzo among others. (Paulina Juzak)
