Giotto's famed fresco cycle depicting St. Francis of Assisi restored in Florence

FLORENCE, Italy -- A cycle of frescoes by Italian 14th-century master Giotto, depicting key moments in the life of St. Francis of Assisi, has been unveiled after a four-year restoration.The newly vibrant “Stories of St. Francis” were shown to the public last week in the Basilica of Santa Croce, just in time for the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death on Oct. 4.Giotto, who died in Florence in 1337, is considered by many to be the greatest Italian painter of his time and is considered the father of European painting. His artistic innovations informed the Renaissance style that developed after he died.Painted between 1317-1325 and adorning a side chapel in the basilica, the St. Francis frescos have regained their richness following the restoration and offer new insights into Giotto’s revolutionary techniques and style, restorers said. Emanuela Daffra, superintendent of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, said the restoration removed layers of film and subsequent additions to the frescoes that had obscured Giotto’s original vision and now show his “profound capacity for expression.”“Today, we can clearly interpret the gazes,” of the various figures in the scenes, she said. “He knew how ...