Berkley Center

Gazing at one of Raphael’s many beautiful paintings, The Madonna of the Goldfinch, in the Uffizi Gallery, I was too captivated by the vibrant colors to acknowledge that the oil paint covered wood in front of me was over 500 years old, dating back to 1506. I do not know if you have recently walked down the street and seen something this old that was perfectly intact, but I have not.

As a United States citizen, I am not accustomed to happening upon old objects. In a country with a relatively short history, one cannot find ancient abandoned castles and ruins walking down the street. The works of my country’s painters, architects, and sculptors have not weathered the same accumulation of dust and debris as those of Italy. Perhaps it is for this reason that I was ignorant of the age of the artwork surrounding me in Italy until my visit to the Opificio Delle Pietre Dure e Laboratori Di Restauro Di Firenze.

The Opificio is a state-owned institution that restores stone mosaics, hardstone carvings, stone sculptures, marble sculptures, bronze, and ceramics. The institution was originally founded in 1588 by Ferdinando I de’Medici and has survived changes in government, style, and culture. Originally, the Opificio was established in order to inlay precious and semi-precious stones into mosaics and pieces of art. It continues this practice and trains young students to cut stones by hand with wires and abrasives. Though the abrasive substances are now synthetic and artists are able to use some mechanical tools for cutting larger pieces of stone, the process still closely resembles that used in 1588. One can still buy (for quite a bit of money) bright stone mosaics and replications of paintings created from thousands of pieces of carefully handpicked stones. This art is both beautiful and painstaking. The Opificio also possesses a formidable collection of stones from around the world. This collection was started during 1588 in the Medici time and contains stones that can no longer be found, their quarries having been closed, lost, or exhausted. Its stock of stones is large enough to sustain the work done at the Opificio for over 200 more years.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, there is less demand for time-consuming artwork like stone mosaics and pictures. In order to meet an increase in demand created by pollution and age and to diversify its functions, the Opificio expanded its functions into art restoration at the end of the nineteenth century. Using medical tools, dental tools, and lasers, the Opificio restores various artistic treasures from around the world.

Going back to Raphael’s The Madonna of the Goldfinch, this seemingly perfect piece of history underwent ten years of reconstructive surgery. While other works of art only need a facelift or cleaning, this piece had been heavily abused over the years. After the painting was crushed when the owner’s house collapsed, other artists had nailed the pieces back together and painted over the original work to hide the seams in the work. The Opificio spent two years simply studying the damage using x-rays. They proceeded to meticulously clean and seamlessly reconstruct the work by replacing the haphazard patchwork keeping it together. As a result of these efforts, millions of people are able to appreciate The Madonna of the Goldfinch and other masterpieces as they looked in their prime. With modern technology, the Opificio is able to make historical pieces ageless and preserve them in a pristine state.

However, the Opificio does not work solely for the benefit of tourists. During my visit, I was able to see many sculptures on operating tables like people in hospitals. I saw paintings and mosaics and even managed a faraway glimpse of Ghiberti’s doors to the Florentine Baptistery of St. John, The Gates of Paradise. While some of these pieces were known, more were unknown to me and my peers. A particular set of floor mosaics that had been removed from the Baptistery of St. John stood out. These fragments of floor had been carefully removed and relocated to the Opificio to aerate and be restored. However, the masterpieces of this specific floor, once returned, will never be seen by the common eye. They rest in a restricted part of the Baptistery that few are permitted to enter.

The idea that such great time and care would be spent to preserve unknown and unappreciated works of art may seem foreign to some. However, here in Italy, there is a profound love for the country’s history and for preserving the rich remnants of artistic masterpieces. To me, this is one of the most beautiful parts of Italian culture.