In Collaboration With: Palazzo Spinelli Institute for Art and Restoration
Dates: 3–7 May 2027
Location: Florence, Italy
Format: One-Week Paintings Restoration Certificate Course
Language: English
Duration: 40 hours
Experience Level: Open to all; no previous restoration experience required
Artemisia Gold, in collaboration with the Palazzo Spinelli Institute for Art and Restoration, invites participants to Florence for an immersive, one-week introduction to the art and practice of paintings restoration.
Home to an extraordinary concentration of artistic masterpieces and conservation expertise, Florence offers a unique setting in which to discover the techniques used to safeguard cultural heritage. For 35 years, Palazzo Spinelli has welcomed students from around the world into its restoration laboratories, combining academic knowledge with practical experience.
Taking place from 3–7 May 2027, this intensive English-language course introduces participants to both the theory and practice of conservation. The programme examines the structure and deterioration of paintings, preventive conservation, aesthetic restoration, retouching methods and the ethical considerations that inform decisions made by professional conservators.
The practical workshop moves from observation to hands-on experience. Participants will learn about the structural recovery of damaged canvases, examine paint losses and previous retouching under ultraviolet technologies, explore pigments used in conservation, prepare and apply plaster, fill areas of paint loss and practise mimetic retouching and varnish glazes. Most importantly, students will have the opportunity to work under supervision with real paintings, with practical activities adapted to the conservation needs of each work.
No previous restoration experience is necessary. The course is open to anyone with a good working knowledge of English, making it an exceptional opportunity for art lovers, collectors, students and those curious to understand what happens behind the scenes in the conservation of historic works of art. Participants who complete the 40-hour programme will receive a certificate of attendance from Palazzo Spinelli.
Course Details & Registration
The course fee is €850 per participant, with an early-bird rate of €765 for enrolments completed by 3 March 2027. Places are intentionally limited to a maximum of 12 participants, and the course will proceed once a minimum of eight participants has been reached.
The course runs Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM–1:00 PM and 1:30–5:30 PM at Palazzo Spinelli’s restoration laboratories, Via delle Casine 21/rosso, Florence.
For further information about Artemisia Gold and this special paintings restoration course, contact jane@artemisiagold.org.
