Two New Books Explore the Complex History and Disputed Location of Piero della Francesca's 'Madonna del Parto'

Two recently published books examine the turbulent history and ongoing controversy surrounding the location of Piero della Francesca's 15th-century fresco 'Madonna del Parto.' The artwork, created between 1455 and 1465, has been at the center of a legal and cultural dispute since March 2022, when Italy's Council of State ordered its return to its original site in Monterchi, Arezzo. However, the original church, Santa Maria di Momentana, no longer exists, having been incorporated into the town's cemetery complex in the late 18th century. The local community of Monterchi strongly opposes the move, defending the fresco's current home in a former elementary school that has served as its museum since 1992, following a major restoration. The museum attracts approximately 30,000 visitors annually. The books, 'Salva per miracolo' (2026) by Lina Guadagni Trzuskolas, former director of the Madonna del Parto Museum, and 'La Micro-Aventure de la Vierge enceinte' (2026) by critic Marc Lenot, delve into the artwork's perilous past. This includes censorship during the Counter-Reformation, which banned depictions of the pregnant Madonna, damage from Napoleonic requisitions, a devastating 1917 earthquake, and shelling during World War II. Both authors highlight the role of local women in protecting the fresco, particularly their defiance against attempts to remove it during wartime. The books also address the critical issue of the fresco's ideal placement, arguing that the current cemetery chapel—built in 1956 and oriented 90 degrees differently from the original structure—is unsuitable due to poor conservation standards and incorrect lighting that contradicts Piero della Francesca's original artistic intent. While the 2022 ruling dismissed a 'third way' involving relocation to a former Benedictine convent, some suggest digital reconstruction and AI as alternatives to physically moving the fragile work. The discussion often overlooks the preserved Tuscan landscape that forms the backdrop to Piero's work, itself saved from a highway project in the 1990s by local activists.