The Maestà of Assisi, by the Italian painter and mosaicist Cimabue, has been restored in preparation for the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226).
The fresco, displayed in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, is famous “not only for the depiction of the Virgin on the throne, but also for what is believed to be one of the oldest portraits of the saint,” the Vatican newspaper reported.
The Italian carmaker Ferrari funded the restoration, at the cost of €300,000 ($323,000).