ICCROM Director-General Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, together with the Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, conducted a joint site visit to the Church of the Eremitani in Padua—the historic site at the center of a remarkable rediscovery.
The reason for the visit was the discovery of fragments of medieval frescoes which belong to the Cappella degli Ovetari of the Church of Eremitani. The fragments have been identified in ICCROM’s archives, shedding new light on a powerful story of artistic survival and recovery.
The discovery includes thirty-one pieces of mural painting dating from the 14th and 15th centuries.
Among them are rare surviving elements of the Ovetari Chapel, painted by masters such as Andrea Mantegna, Nicolò Pizzolo, Antonio Vivarini and Giovanni d’Alemagna—a cornerstone of the 15th-century Paduan Renaissance.
The rediscovery is particularly significant in light of the site’s tragic history. In 1944, during the Second World War, the church was severely damaged by bombing, reducing its celebrated frescoes to tens of thousands of fragments—one of Italy’s most devastating cultural losses of the war.
The joint visit of the Director-General and the Minister represented another important step forward within the very solid partnership between ICCROM and the Italian Ministry of Culture.
It was agreed to design a joint project, engaging the local community and stakeholders, to explore concrete opportunities for reconnecting these fragments with their original historical and spiritual setting through innovative solutions. The joint project aims to convey their unique value as a powerful symbol of survival and the enduring resilience of cultural heritage, testifying that reconstruction can lead to greater social cohesion and stabilization, while reinforcing a deep sense of belonging and identity.