Saturnino Gatti’s Madonna of the Rosary is a panel painting measuring approximately five square meters and bears the scars of ancient traumatic events that have compromised its painted surface.
The restoration, commissioned and funded by the National Museum of Abruzzo, directed by Drs. Federica Zalabra and Giulia Vendittozzi, included a series of diagnostic investigations conducted by Stefano Ridolfi and Ilaria Carocci of Ars Mensurae, aimed at understanding Saturnino’s technique. The conservative restoration was conducted by Roberto Saccuman for the support, and by Elena Mercanti and Paola Mancini, members of the CBC cooperative, for the pictorial part.
The challenge, due to the complexity of a work in which at least six restoration interventions were identified, was to reconcile the state of conservation with the aesthetic requirement, allowing Saturnino’s hand and astonishing palette to emerge in all its beauty. This artist’s painting is preceded by a brushstroke that depicts even the most minute details, often reinforced by an incision that overlaps the drawing. The intense, vibrant colors suggest a varied palette, rich in the types of pigments used. Equally striking are the gilding applied in gouache and mission, present in virtually all the depictions of the composition. The decision, shared by the project management, to remove what concealed this mastery required a gradual intervention.
The National Museum of Abruzzo, as part of its rich program of events and meetings this summer, will organize a study day to present the restoration and the investigations carried out.
For now, the work is back on display to the public at its Borgo Rivera site, open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., last admission at 7:00 p.m.
