Opificio delle Pietre Dure

In short

The Opificio delle Pietre Dure is an institute of the Italian Ministry of Culture in Florence for the conservation and restoration of works of art. It grew from the court workshop for hard-stone work founded in 1588 by Ferdinando I de' Medici, merged in 1975 with the restoration laboratory of the Florence superintendency, and now works in eleven restoration sectors, including Florentine mosaic and commesso, goldsmiths' work, textiles and tapestries. Its Scuola di Alta Formazione e Studio runs a five-year single-cycle course in conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, with a diploma equivalent to a master's degree that qualifies graduates as restorers; admission is by an international competition for up to ten students a year, with practical training in the institute's laboratories.