(15 February 2016) “The Beheading of St. John the Baptist” (1608), preserved in the Co-Cathedral of St. John in Valletta, it is the major work of Caravaggio’s Maltese period: twenty years ago, the restoration was cured by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, whose superintendent Marco Ciatti will be at the Italian Cultural Institute on Thursday, February 18 (6:30pm). On the 20th anniversary of the important restoration, the conference will illustrate the many activities the Central Institute of the Ministry of Heritage and Cultural Activities and Tourism (the current name of the Opificio) and through images of its halls and rooms will offer the public a real virtual tour. The Opificio is the oldest European institution for the preservation of works of art. Its areas of activity are three: operations with its own restoration workshops and sites all over the national territory, applied research to restoration, and training with one of the three schools of Mibact, whose diploma is now equated with a Master’s Degree. The Institute has composite origins, the result of an ancient and illustrious tradition, and modern and articulated activities. Established by Ferdinand I de Medici as a factory for processing furniture in precious stones, the Opificio transformed its business in the last decades of the 19th century in restoration activities, initially solely on the materials produced during its centuries-long history, and then expanding its expertise to related materials. Marco Ciatti has led the Opificio since 1984 and has served as superintendent since 2012. (Red)
