The non-profit foundation Friends of Florence, in collaboration with the Florence Art and Restoration Fair, has announced the eighth edition of the Friends of Florence Award, dedicated to the restoration, protection, and conservation of artworks in the city of Florence.
Marking the 60th anniversary of the 1966 flood, the 2026 edition will focus on restoration projects for artworks damaged by natural disasters—such as floods and earthquakes—or tragic events caused by human action, including wars, attacks, or ecological catastrophes.
The call for entries opened on November 4, 2025, and applications may be submitted until March 4, 2026, exclusively online via the website of the Florence Art and Restoration Fair. The award provides €20,000 (VAT included) to support the selected project, which must be completed within 2026.
Each applicant may submit up to two restoration proposals. Eligible participants include restorers and restoration firms listed in the official register of professionals authorized by the Italian Ministry of Culture (Decree 183 of December 21, 2018). Projects may concern all types of materials—paintings, wood, frescoes, ceramics, textiles, stone, bronze, metals, paper, and more.
The award ceremony will take place during the Florence Art and Restoration Fair at Fortezza da Basso, April 27–30, 2026, officially launching the restoration of the winning project.
Friends of Florence first dedicated the prize to artworks damaged by natural or human-caused disasters in 2016. Returning to this theme sixty years after the devastating flood, the foundation underscores the importance of protecting cultural heritage and fostering a shared culture of prevention and preservation.
Since its creation, the Friends of Florence Award has received 311 project submissions and supported 41 restorationswith a total contribution of €820,000 (VAT included). Seven projects have won the award, while an additional 34 have been funded through private donors, helping to safeguard works that are part of Florence’s and the world’s artistic legacy.
(In the cover photo, restoration work on the first project supported by Friends of Florence through the award in 2012: the Madonna della Misericordia at the Museo del Bigallo)
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