Restoration award for work damaged in 1966 flood at Florence church

A restoration project focusing on a 14th-century reliquary bust damaged during the 1966 flood has won the 2026 edition of the Friends of Florence – Salone dell’Arte e del Restauro prize. The work, proposed by restorer Lucia Dori of L’Officina di Restauro, concerns a bust reliquary of a companion of Saint Ursula, dated to around 1340 and housed in the Chiesa dei Santi Simone e Giuda.

The award, now in its eighth edition, provides €20,000 (VAT included) to support restoration, conservation and protection projects for cultural heritage in Florence. It is promoted by the non-profit Friends of Florence in collaboration with the Salone dell’Arte e del Restauro, a biennial event dedicated to conservation and restoration professionals.

A project linked to the 1966 flood anniversary

This year’s edition was specifically dedicated to works damaged by natural disasters or human-caused events, marking the 60th anniversary of the 1966 flood that severely affected Florence’s artistic heritage.

According to the jury, the selected artwork had long suffered from neglect and past repainting that obscured its original appearance. The piece is notable for being made of modelled leather, a rare and poorly documented technique, and for its connection to devotional practices in 14th-century Florence.

Preliminary studies suggest that the restoration could recover original gilding and polychromy currently hidden beneath later layers, significantly improving both its conservation and visual readability.

Restoration to be completed by 2028

With the announcement of the winner, Friends of Florence will now fund the intervention, which is expected to be completed by 2028, in time for the next edition of the Salone.

The jury highlighted the technical quality of the proposal, noting that it offered strong guarantees both in terms of conservation and final aesthetic outcome. It also underlined the broader symbolic value of the project: the church is today used by Florence’s Ukrainian Greek Catholic community, and the restoration is seen as carrying a message of cultural continuity and resilience.

A long-term role in Florence’s conservation sector

Since its creation in 2012, the prize has attracted more than 300 proposals and supported 43 restoration projects, with total funding of about €860,000. In addition to the annual award, the foundation has often identified additional donors to finance further interventions.

Beyond the prize, Friends of Florence plays a wider role in the city’s conservation ecosystem, supporting both major restorations and smaller-scale maintenance projects. Recent initiatives include the restoration of artworks such as the Madonna del Latte in Sant’Ambrogio and ongoing maintenance programmes for street tabernacles carried out with local partners .

A sector on display alongside Florence’s craft traditions

The award is closely linked to the Salone dell’Arte e del Restauro, which functions as a platform for companies, conservators and institutions working in the field. The event highlights technical innovation and professional training in restoration, a sector that remains central to Florence’s cultural economy.

This focus on conservation and specialised craftsmanship runs in parallel with other major events in the city, such as the International Handicrafts Fair (Mostra Internazionale dell’Artigianato), which showcases contemporary artisanal production. Together, these initiatives reflect different aspects of Florence’s identity: one rooted in preserving historical heritage, the other in sustaining living craft traditions.

In this context, the Friends of Florence prize positions restoration not only as a technical discipline, but as part of a broader system that connects historical research, skilled labour and cultural transmission.

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