Donatello's Judith and Holofernes Returns to Palazzo Vecchio After Restoration

Donatello's bronze sculpture "Judith and Holofernes" (1457-1464) has returned to the Sala dei Gigli in Florence's Palazzo Vecchio following a major restoration funded by the Friends of Florence Foundation. The work, commissioned by Piero de' Medici and completed by collaborators after Donatello left for Siena, originally stood in the garden of the Medici residence on Via Larga. It was later moved to the Palazzo Vecchio arengario and then to the Sala dei Gigli after a 1986-1988 restoration by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. The latest 10-month project, split into two phases, included diagnostic tests before the 2022 exhibition "Donatello. Il Rinascimento" at Palazzo Strozzi, followed by surface cleaning, removal of decades-old metal issues, and correction of chromatic alterations. The restoration revealed original gilding patterns. Simonetta Brandolini d'Adda, president of Friends of Florence, stated the foundation is happy to have supported the restoration of this work fundamental to Florentine and world art history.