A Renaissance painting by Moretto da Brescia was damaged when a visitor tripped and fell against it at the Santa Giulia Museum in Brescia. The accident occurred during an exhibition showcasing Renaissance works.
The artwork, Stendardo dei Disciplini, dates from 1522-1524 and is a double-sided processional standard. It was displayed without protective glass to allow visitors to view both sides. The woman lost her balance and placed her hand on the lower part of the painting, causing a visible tear.
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The museum’s director, Stefano Karadjov, reassured the public that while the visitor was unharmed, the painting sustained damage requiring restoration. “These are things that can happen, especially because these days the exhibition is very busy,” he said. Fortunately, the cut was clean with no loss of pictorial surface, making repairs feasible. The costs, expected to reach several thousand euros, will be covered by insurance. Museum staff secured the painting immediately, and a restorer from the team that had recently worked on the piece was called in to assess the damage.
Restoration will commence after exhibition closes
Restoration work will begin on 17 February, the day after the exhibition closes. A restoration workshop will then be set up within the same museum. “We can say that after a few hours of apprehension everything was resolved for the best, with the machinery for finding the solution being quickly activated,” Karadjov concluded.
This is not the first time such an accident has occurred in an Italian museum. In 2022, an American tourist fell against a painting by Baroque master Guido Reni at Rome’s Galleria Borghese. Despite these incidents, museum authorities in Brescia do not plan to take legal action against the visitor.
The Stendardo dei Disciplini remains a key piece in Brescia’s Renaissance collection, featuring two unidentified saints on one side and the Virgin Mary with two disciples on the other. It will return to public display once restoration is complete.
