Italian American Museum showcases the Madonna di Pietranico
Recently, I had the great privilege of viewing La Madonna di Pietranico at the Italian American Museum (IAM) in New York City. The fictile statue, dating from the 15th century, had been seriously damaged in the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila and has gone under extensive restoration following its recovery from the devastated Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo. The reconstruction was made possible by the hard work and generosity of the IAM, which helped raise $110,000 for the victims. In gratitude for its munificence the people of the Abruzzo have loaned the beloved statue to the museum.
According to Lucia Arbace, the Superintendent for Artistic and Cultural Heritage in Abruzzo, what makes the Madonna so special is not who the sculptor was (the artist is unknown) or how precious the materials used to make her were (its made from simple terracotta), but rather her religious and historical significance. This devotional piece represents the collective identity and historical memories of the Abruzzese people, whose rich legacy of Medieval and Renaissance art remains unjustly understated.
"The Madonna di Pietranico," says Arbace "is also a testament to our capacity to communicate faith in Mary, our great Mother, who, deeply rooted in the territory of Abruzzo, assumed a new face mid-way through the fifteenth century to transmit an intensely spiritual message to the faithful." (1) She is depicted on a throne, in prayer, cradling the Christ Child on her lap.
In all, twenty-four fragments were recovered from the ruins. The nose and left hand were completely destroyed. A metal bar, some wire and plaster incorporated during an earlier restoration in the 1930's added to the difficulties. The Christ Child was lost prior to 1934.
Highly trained specialists were brought in for the complex restoration project. Using state of the art technology and techniques like computerized laser-scanning and digital 3D-modeling, the team, over the course of the year began to repair the damaged icon and return it to its former glory.
The back of the statue's head remains unfinished so viewers can see the restoration process and the extent of the damage for themselves. The repairs will be completed upon its return to the Abruzzo where it will be reinstalled, after an 80 year hiatus, to its rightful home, the Chiesa di San Michele e Santa Giusta in Pietranico.
The Madonna di Pietranico, along with a fifteen-minute documentary film about the restoration work, will be on view at the Italian American Museum until June 2, 2011.
Photos by New York Scugnizzo
(1) Quoted from La Madonna di Pietranico: The reconstruction, restoration and history of a work of art in terracotta, Edizioni ZIP, 2011, p. 22
