A series of extraordinary guided tours of the Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence is scheduled to 13 November.
Free guided tours every Thursday until 13 November
This autumn the Museum will be open every Thursday afternoon from 14:00 to 18:00 until 13 November, and its professionals will illustrate to visitors the history of the Museum and the works on display with free guided tours for which there is no need for reservations.
The ancient Medici art of the commesso technique
The Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence is today recognized as one of the most authoritative restoration centres in the world. Founded in Florence by the noble Medici family for the decoration of the Princes' Chapel in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Opificio has for centuries combined expertise in restoration and the art of inlaying semi-precious stones. The Museum bears witness to the art of the Florentine commesso, a particular technique that consists of inlaying precious and semi-precious hard stones to create detailed and colourful images, similar to paintings.
An itinerary for the visually impaired
This year, for the first time, two events dedicated to the blind and visually impaired will be held during the afternoon openings of 18 September and 2 October. This will be a tactile and descriptive itinerary for groups of four or five people that will allow visitors to touch some of the works, the stones and the ancient tools used to create the masterpieces on display at the Museum. Visits for the blind and visually impaired and their accompanying persons can be booked by writing to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Part of the cycle of Giotto’s mural paintings
From 9 October to 13 November, the extraordinary openings of the OPD Museum will also be enriched by six concerts organized by the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory. And up to 1 November, the Museo will host, as part of the cycle Caring for Art. Restorations on show, the Vatican Fragment, the only remaining part of the cycle of mural paintings that Giotto and his team created in the first quarter of the 14th century in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. This work of great historical and artistic value, can now be admired thanks to the restoration carried out by the OPD between 2016 and 2019.
