Restored Sansovino Madonna on display in Florence before returning to Venice

A rare Renaissance sculpture attributed to Jacopo Sansovino has gone on public display in Florence following an extensive conservation project carried out by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Italy’s leading institute for art restoration.

The Madonna with Child and Two Putti, known as the Madonna delle Muneghette, will be exhibited at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure Museum from 30 July to 30 September 2026 as part of the Caring for Art. Restauri in mostra series, which presents recently restored works before they are returned to their owners. After the exhibition, the sculpture will return to the IRE – Istituzioni di Ricovero ed Educazione in Venice.

The work, attributed to Florentine-born sculptor Jacopo Sansovino (1486–1570), was rediscovered in the 1970s at the former Pensionato delle Muneghette in Venice. It is considered an unusual example of the artist’s technical experimentation, having been made from layers of canvas and plaster, with separately moulded papier-mâché elements assembled into the final composition.

Recent scholarship suggests that the sculpture was conceived as a finished work rather than as a preparatory model. Its unconventional and relatively inexpensive materials are thought to reflect Sansovino’s experience in creating temporary decorative structures and may indicate that it was intended for patrons with more limited financial resources.

A complex restoration

Before conservation began, the sculpture was in a fragile condition, with serious structural instability, deformation and missing elements that affected both its appearance and stability.

The restoration was carried out by specialists from the Opificio’s departments for polychrome wooden sculpture and ceramic, plastic and glass materials, supported by scientific diagnostic investigations. The project was funded by the Venetian Heritage Foundation.

Conservators carefully cleaned the sculpture while preserving evidence of its long conservation history. Missing elements were recreated using 3D scanning and printing technology, allowing the work’s original balance and inclination to be recovered. An innovative internal support system was also designed to stabilise the sculpture without altering its appearance.

According to the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, the restoration aimed to recover the expressive quality of Sansovino’s composition while leaving visible the losses that help explain the artist’s unusual construction technique.

Visiting the exhibition

The exhibition, titled “…volava con le mani e con l’ingegno”. Jacopo Sansovino, i materiali poveri, un capolavoro veneziano, is open at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure Museum, Via degli Alfani 78, Florence, from 30 July to 30 September 2026.

The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 8.15 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission to the exhibition is included in the museum ticket, priced at €6 (€2 reduced).

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