Restored Madonna della Pura Returns to Public View at Santa Maria Novella

A fresco known as the Madonna della Pura, one of the most important devotional images preserved inside Florence’s Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, has returned to public view following a conservation project funded by Friends of Florence. The restored work was presented on 16 June in the presence of representatives of the basilica, conservation authorities and the American foundation that supported the intervention.

The restoration was carried out by Andrea Vigna of Habilis Srl, with the collaboration of Paola Viviani and Stefania Franceschini, under the supervision of Italy’s cultural heritage authorities. The project aimed not only to preserve the fresco but also to improve its readability and allow visitors to appreciate its artistic, historical and devotional significance.

Friends of Florence highlighted the importance of safeguarding works that remain deeply connected to the city’s religious and cultural identity. The foundation also acknowledged the contribution of donors William and Jeanne Bice, whose support made the project possible.

A centuries-old focus of devotion

The fresco is closely linked to the Dominican promotion of Marian devotion in Florence. According to tradition, the image originally appeared on a tomb belonging to the Della Luna family in the cemetery adjoining Santa Maria Novella. Popular devotion grew after a story recounting a Marian apparition witnessed by children playing nearby, leading to the creation of an altar and later a dedicated chapel.

The chapel housing the fresco was completed in 1476 and incorporated the image into an architectural setting designed by Giovanni di Bertino. Since then, the Madonna della Pura has remained one of the basilica’s best-known symbols of Marian devotion.

Removing decades of alteration

Before the restoration, the fresco was affected by accumulated surface deposits, abrasions, altered overpainting and repairs from previous conservation campaigns. Conservators carried out a careful cleaning process, removed later additions that had changed the appearance of the figures, and treated losses in the painted surface using compatible materials and reversible techniques.

Particular attention was given to overpainted areas on the flesh tones, where twentieth-century interventions had altered the original colours. Their removal revealed details and tonal balances that had long been hidden from view.

According to the restoration team, the intervention has provided a clearer understanding of both the image and the painter’s working methods, while restoring a more authentic reading of the fresco for visitors and worshippers alike.

Continuing investment in Florence’s heritage

The project is the latest in a long series of conservation initiatives supported by Friends of Florence, the non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving Florence’s artistic and cultural heritage. Through partnerships with public institutions, religious communities and conservation specialists, the foundation has funded the restoration of artworks, monuments and historic sites across the city.

The return of the Madonna della Pura adds another chapter to those efforts, ensuring that one of Santa Maria Novella’s most significant devotional images can once again be fully appreciated by residents, pilgrims and visitors from around the world.

(Photos by Ottaviano Caruso)

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