Restorer Pinin Brambilla Barcilon dies at 95

Pinin Brambilla Barcilon, the renowned Italian restorer who led the 20-year conservation of Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' in Milan, died at 95. Born in Monza in 1925, she saved the fresco from deterioration caused by Leonardo's experimental technique and the refectory's humidity. The project, completed in 1999, cost about 7 billion lire and was largely funded by Olivetti. Despite initial controversy, the final result was celebrated. She also restored works by Giotto, Masolino, Piero della Francesca, Caravaggio, Tiziano, and modern artists like Lucio Fontana and Man Ray. She collaborated with the Louvre and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, and served on ICOM committees. In 2005, she founded the Centro Conservazione e Restauro La Venaria Reale. Her memoir 'La mia vita con Leonardo' was published in 2015 by Mondadori Electa. Tributes came from the Centro and the Cenacolo Vinciano staff, who called her 'the Lady of the Cenacolo'.