The Beato Angelico ‘Franciscan Triptych’ in the Aftermath of the Napoleonic Suppressions: Nineteenth-Century Restorations at the Certosa del Galluzzo

Abstract

This paper reconstructs the conservation history of the so-called ‘Franciscan Triptych’ by Fra Angelico after the Napoleonic suppressions, with particular attention to the stay of the side panels at the Certosa del Galluzzo and to the nineteenth-century interventions that altered their original appearance. Through a cross-analysis of the critical reception, archival documentation, and the findings that emerged from the most recent restoration carried out by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, the study clarifies the chronology and circumstances of the dismantling of the altarpiece, providing new evidence in support of the triptych’s provenance from the Compagnia di San Francesco in Santa Croce. Newly identified evidence makes it possible to recognize the panels delivered to the Certosa in 1816 as the two Angelico side panels, later restored and adapted for the Chapel of Santa Maria during the refurbishment promoted in 1841 by Eugenio Poniatowski. What emerges is a complex history marked by dispersal, reuse, and restoration, allowing for a more precise reconstruction of the triptych’s material, historical, and collecting profile.