Opera di Santa Croce, the non-profit body that has been in charge of the church and monumental complex of Santa Croce’s upkeep since 1371, has indicated that the tomb monument of Michelangelo requires restoration.
Michelagelo’s tomb complex in Santa Croce | Photo Andrea Paoletti
The monument, commissioned to Vasari after the artist’s death in 1564 and finished in 1578, consists of a sculpted sarcophagus with three sculpted figures and a bust of Michelangelo, and next to this, the Buonarroti family altar, topped with an altarpiece painted by Vasari and representing Christ Meeting Veronica. The painting is one of the victims of the 1966 flood and still awaits restoration; its condition recently became urgent as a termite invasion threatening the integrity of its wooden support has been discovered.
OSC hopes to raise awareness and necessary funds for restoration through a crowdfunding campaign called “In the Name of Michelangelo”, which will run through October, 2017. US tax-deductible donations are being collected online at santacroceopera.it/Michelangelo. If successful in raising €100,000 ($119,000) in this short period of time, work will start immediately and be complete by early spring, 2018.
