La Madonna del Segno’ in San Martino a Bari. Storia e restauro di un’immagine medievale

**The fresco of the Madonna 'del Segno' is reborn in the church of San Martino in Bari. On November 11 at the Civic Museum, the restoration presentation and a visit to the millennial place of worship.**

On **Tuesday, November 11, 2025**, starting at 5:45 PM, the Civic Museum of Bari (str. Sagges, 13) will host the event *“The Madonna 'del Segno' in San Martino in Bari. History and restoration of a medieval image”*, which will present to the public the restoration of the fresco of the Madonna 'del Segno' housed in the millenary church of San Martino in Bari Vecchia. The age-old image – dated to the second quarter of the 15th century – has undergone a meticulous conservation restoration thanks to an agreement signed between *Aps Martinus* (the association leading the recovery and repurposing project of the church) and the Degree Course in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the University of Bari, under the supervision of technicians from the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape of Bari with support from BCC Cassano delle Murge e Tolve, Garofoli spa, and Marelli lighting.

The restoration took place within an open construction site where the local community was able, on a few organized occasions, to understand the techniques and methodologies employed. The removal of overpaintings – done between the late 19th and early 20th centuries – allowed much of the original colors, decorations, and 15th-century anatomical forms, as well as new iconographic details and fragments of the underlying previous frescoes, to resurface. All restoration details have been compiled in the volume *“The Madonna 'del Segno' in San Martino in Bari. History and restoration of a medieval image”* (quorumedizioni), which will be presented during the event. The publication, the first issue of the emerging Patricolari Studies Series, promoted by Aps Martinus, documents in several chapters, accompanied by professional photographs: the history of the church of San Martino, its recovery project, an artistic analysis of the fresco, and all phases of the restoration, highlighting the discoveries made during the process. Additionally, the volume offers a reflection on the value of the open construction site as a tool for heritage education, emphasizing the importance of making the recovery process of the territory's assets accessible and understandable to the entire community.

The event on November 11, after the institutional greetings by Francesca Romana Paolillo, Superintendent of ABAP for the metropolitan city of Bari, Gerardo Milillo, president of Aps Martinus, and Annarosa Mangone, Coordinator of the Degree Course in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage Uniba, will feature interventions by Enrica Dardes and Federica Testa of the historical-artistic office, Superintendency of ABAP for the metropolitan city of Bari, Marcello Mignozzi, professor of Medieval Art History at Uniba, Francesco Daddario, professor of History and Technique of Restoration at Uniba, and Giancarlo Liuzzi, editor of the volume and vice president of Aps Martinus. The event will be presented by Isabella Battista, professor of art history and journalist.

Following the presentation, from 7:30 PM, attendees will have the opportunity to view the reborn fresco and visit the nearby church of San Martino (str. dei Bianchi Dottula, 3) with a presentation of the repurposing project of the site by Antonio Giannoccaro, architect and Pasap_Med Uniba PhD student. Finally, from 8:30 PM in the adjacent Corte Bianchi Dottula (str. dei Dottula, 10), Aps Martinus will offer a small buffet accompanied by musical interludes by Rodolfo Ventrella and Michele Aprile. Free entry.

*On Saturday, November 15, the church of San Martino will be exceptionally open (10:00 AM-1:00 PM | 5:00 PM-8:00 PM) with group visits to view the restored fresco. Entry with a free contribution for the restoration.*

Event link: https://fb.me/e/3GXmwHLWi
Web: www.facebook.com/events/137...