A 15th-century wooden statue of
St Peter has been attributed to Renaissance master Donatello.
The newly re-attributed work was delivered back safely Tuesday
to a gallery in the Marche town of Fabriano.
It was restored in Florence by Anna Fulimeni, under the
scientific direction of Pierluigi Moriconi, an art historian at
the Marche cultural heritage superintendency.
For centuries the statue, covered by layers of overpainting, had
been largely overlooked in Fabriano's San Domenico Church.
It was believed to be a 19th century work.
Perugia University art historian Fabio Marcelli was the first to
suggest it was a Donatello.
This was later confirmed by leading Donatello expert Giancarlo
Gentilini.
As the statue was placed in the collection of the Molajoli
Gallery, Fabriano Mayor Gabriele Santarelli said "this is an
important moment for the city of Fabriano, which we had been
waiting for for years".
Marche Art Heritage Superintendent Marta Mazza said: we hope the
work can now be enjoyed by as many people as possible".
Donatello (c. 1386 - 13 December 1466) was the foremost sculptor
of the early Renaissance.
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