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Saint Ursula Returns!

Jul 10, 2019

Following two and half years of conservation, Vittore Carpaccio’s beloved Saint Ursula Cycle has returned to public view in Venice’s Gallerie dell’Accademia. The treatment has yielded marvelous results, restoring the artist’s vibrant palette and showcasing his exceptional mastery of illustrating imaginative details.

Restoration of the nine paintings that compose the cycle was complex as each canvas was in a varied state of conservation. Two teams of conservators, CBC Conservazione Beni Culturali and Arlango Restauro, worked side by side to treat seven of the nine paintings on-site in the Accademia. The remaining two canvases were treated in Rome by the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro. In total, conservators treated more than 87 square meters of painted canvas and averaged 250 hours of work per square meter.

Visitors to the revived Saint Ursula gallery will note new didactic signage and behind-the-scenes video footage recorded during the campaign. Two historical documents from the Scuola di Sant’Orsola, a 16th-century Mariegola and an 18th-century map, are now displayed in the room’s entryway, providing visitors the opportunity to learn more about the origins of the cycle.

More than 100 guests celebrated the inauguration of the restored Saint Ursula Cycle on Friday, June 7, 2019 at the Accademia in Venice.

Save Venice gratefully thanks the sponsors of the Saint Ursula Campaign for their generous support:

The Thompson Family Foundation
Supporters of Save Venice Un Ballo in Maschera 2016
Thomas Schumacher and Matthew White
The California Chapter of Save Venice
The James R. Dougherty, Jr. Foundation
Dolce & Gabbana