Vatican Museums

A significant restoration campaign concerned the frescoes in the Chapel of San Lorenzo, inside the Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs. The restoration was carried out by the Painting and Wood Materials Restoration Laboratory and its outcome is the main topic of this volume. Both the publication and the restoration were realised thanks to the support of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. The contributions of the Passionist fathers Tito Amodei and Ottaviano D’Egidio introduce the history of this place, from the Patriarchìum to the more recent modifications; Alessandro Zuccari (Sapienza – Università di Roma) examines the organisation of the workers who executed the decorations, tracing back the complex pyramidal structure of the working team; Carla Hendriks focuses on the landscapes painted inside the Chapel of San Lorenzo – often attributed to the Flemish painter Paul Bril.

The following section is dedicated to the results of the restoration: Paolo Violini, coordinator of the works and also curator of the volume, explains the choices and methods used.
The photographic apparatus contributes to a further explanation of the contents, so that a wide audience of both experts and enthusiasts can fully appreciate the restoration and enjoy the rediscovered beauty of the Sistine frescoes.