Umberto Baldini (November 9, 1921 – August 16, 2006) was an art historian and specialist in the theory of

art restoration The conservation and restoration of cultural property focuses on protection and care of cultural property, cultural property (tangible cultural heritage), including Collection (artwork), artworks, Architectural conservation, architecture, Archae ...

. He earned a degree in

art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today, ...

with professor Mario Salmi, entered into service as inspector of the Soprintendenza of

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

, and in 1949 became director of the Gabinetto di Restauro. In this capacity he was tasked with managing the emergency of the 1966 flood of Florence that damaged many masterpieces. The result of these interventions consecrated to the world the techniques and methodology of the so-called "Florentine school" of restoration. In 1970 he became the first director of the

Opificio delle Pietre Dure The Opificio delle pietre dure, literally meaning ''Workshop of semi-precious stones'', is a public institute of the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage based in Florence. It is a global leader in the field of art restoration and provides teach ...

. From 1983 to 1987 he was the director of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (now the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro) in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and, in these years, he led the restoration of the

Brancacci Chapel The Brancacci Chapel (in Italian, "Cappella dei Brancacci") is a chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, central Italy. It is sometimes called the "Sistine Chapel of the early Renaissance" for its painting cycle, among the ...

in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence. He then was named President of the Università Internazionale dell'Arte in Forence, and director of the

Horne Museum The Museo Horne is a museum focusing on art and furnishings of the 14th and 15th centuries, located in the former Palazzo Corsi, on via de' Benci number 6 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. History of the Palazzo Corsi-Horne Buildings at the site were ...

, also in Florence.

Publications

*''Teoria del restauro e unità di metodologia'' (2 volumes). Florence, Nardini Editore, 1978-1981. *''Metodo e Scienza: operatività e ricerca nel restauro''. Florence, Sansoni, 1982. *''Masaccio''. Electa, 2001.

External links

Obituary in New York Times

ICCROM obituary

Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baldini, Umberto 1921 births 2006 deaths Italian art historians Conservator-restorers People from Pitigliano