Masterpiece Restoration Funded by Indesit

Gentile da Fabriano's ‘Polittico dell'Intercessione’ returned on 4th October, after 70 years, to its original home, in the church of San Niccolò Oltrarno in Florence.

The work will take up its former position in the 15th century sacristy after lengthy restoration work, funded by the Italian government and with significant contributions from Indesit Company and Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, to ensure conditions of security and a more appropriate state of repair in the sacristy.

The restoration work was illustrated in a press conference attended by Cristina Acidini, head of the city administration's historical, artistic and ethno-anthropological department and its museums department, Paola Grifoni, head of the historical, artistic and ethno-anthropological department and the museums department of the Florence, Pistoia and Prato provincial administrations, and Don Giampietro Gamucci, vicar of San Niccolò Oltrarno.

Support for the restoration of the Gentile da Fabriano ‘Polittico’ reflects Indesit Company's commitment to safeguarding Italy's cultural heritage as part of its wider social responsibility agenda. Aiming as ever at full integration with the communities in which it operates, Indesit establishes collaboration relationships with cultural and academic organisations and supports various kinds of initiatives in the field of the arts.

This restoration was an immensely important project in that there are only 30 extant works by Gentile worldwide. It was also a fine example of private funding of the arts that does honour to the traditional commitment of local industry in general. Indesit Company's investment, in particular, not only helped improve the state of conservation of a major work by Gentile da Fabriano but also contributed towards new readings of the artist's work on the part of the academic community.

Indesit Company is Europe's second biggest manufacturer of household appliances by market share and the world's fifth. Founded in 1975 by the current chairman Vittorio Merloni and listed on the Milan stock exchange since 1987, the Group posted sales of over €3.4 billion in 2007, having turned out around 16 million appliances. Indesit, Hotpoint-Ariston and Scholtès are the Group's main brands. Indesit Company operates through 17 production facilities and 24 commercial branches worldwide and employs over 17,000 people.

Web: http://www.indesitcompany.com