FLORENCE.- For nearly a century, a magnificent tapestry depicting the mythological story of Cupid and Psyche has remained out of sight, carefully stored away in the collections of Florence's Museo Nazionale del Bargello. Now, after decades of obscurity, the 17th-century work is beginning a long journey toward rediscovery.

On October 19, The Banquet of Psyche, a monumental tapestry woven from wool and silk, left the museum for the first time in preparation for an extensive restoration. Its destination was not far away: the specialized conservation laboratory of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, housed in the historic Palazzo Vecchio.

But moving an artwork measuring 4.20 by 3.25 meters is no ordinary undertaking. Conservators and technicians carefully rolled the fragile textile, secured it in a specially designed harness, and transported it on foot through Florence to the laboratory, where a team of specialists will spend the next two and a half years studying and treating it.

The restoration, expected to last approximately 30 months, is supported by a €100,000 donation from Fondazione Il Bargello through Italy's Art Bonus program, which encourages private support for public cultural heritage.

For the museum, the project represents something more than the conservation of an important historic object. It offers a rare opportunity to recover a work that has largely disappeared from public awareness.

"The restoration of The Banquet of Psyche represents an important step in the rediscovery and promotion of an extraordinary, often little-known heritage preserved in our museums," said Andreina Contessa, Director General of the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze e Musei del Bargello.

Bringing attention back to an artwork unseen for roughly a century, she explained, means both protecting it for the future and creating new opportunities for research and understanding.

A royal tapestry with a mythological story

The tapestry's origins lead to 17th-century Paris, where some of Europe's most accomplished weavers produced elaborate textiles for royal patrons.

The Banquet of Psyche is attributed to the Manufacture of the Grande Galerie du Louvre, an important weaving workshop active during the reigns of Henry IV and Louis XIII. Its composition is associated with Girard Laurent and Maurice Dubourg, two tapestry makers who worked for the royal manufacture.

The scene draws on the ancient myth of Cupid and Psyche, a story of love, trials, and transformation that fascinated European artists for centuries.

At the center of the tapestry, Psyche sits before an elegantly arranged banquet table. Female attendants and young musicians surround her, while architectural columns open toward a landscape beyond. Cherubs, decorative friezes, and floral garlands form an elaborate border around the composition.

The design follows an artistic tradition associated with the Flemish painter Michiel Coxcie (1497–1592), whose work helped shape the visual language of Renaissance and later European tapestry production.

With its intricate weaving and richly detailed imagery, the work reflects the technical ambition of an art form that once occupied a prestigious place in aristocratic and royal interiors.

From a French collector to Florence

The tapestry arrived at the Bargello in 1888 through the bequest of Louis Carrand, a French collector and art dealer who spent the final years of his life in Florence.

Carrand's collection included three large tapestries that eventually became part of the museum's holdings. Two of them, The Final Assault on Jerusalem and The Battle of Roncevaux, both exceptional examples of 15th-century Franco-Flemish weaving, have already undergone conservation at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure.

The Banquet of Psyche remained the exception.

Unlike its companions, it had never received a comprehensive restoration, and its long absence from the galleries meant that generations of museum visitors had little opportunity to encounter it.

For Emanuela Daffra, Superintendent of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, the new project brings a longstanding conservation effort involving the Carrand textiles closer to completion.

She noted that this tapestry presents a very different challenge from the earlier works because of its later date, production techniques, and relatively limited history of scholarly investigation.

The restoration, she said, should yield important results through the collaboration between the Opificio's specialists and the museum's scientific staff.

Repairing the damage of centuries

Time has left visible marks on The Banquet of Psyche.

The tapestry suffers from accumulated surface dirt, separated seams, cuts, missing sections, and losses in its woven structure. The silk elements are particularly vulnerable, while some older repairs have complicated its present condition.

Before treatment begins, conservators will undertake a detailed examination of the tapestry's materials and construction. Diagnostic studies will help specialists understand how the textile was originally woven and identify the most appropriate methods for stabilizing its fragile areas.

Cleaning and the consolidation of damaged fibers will follow, along with repairs to weakened sections of the weave. A supportive lining will eventually be added to help prepare the tapestry for future display.

At least four specialized conservators will take part in the work, with scientific and technical teams from the Bargello and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure collaborating throughout the process.

The project is being coordinated by Ilaria Ciseri and Benedetta Cantini for the museum, while Riccardo Gennaioli and Marta Cimò oversee the conservation activities at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure.

A second life for a forgotten masterpiece

Florence is celebrated for the masterpieces displayed in its museums, churches, and palaces. Yet behind the scenes, countless works remain in storage, often because their fragile condition makes public exhibition difficult.

The Banquet of Psyche offers a reminder that the history of a museum is not confined to the objects hanging on its walls.

Sometimes, an important part of that history is waiting quietly in a storeroom, its significance obscured by time and its physical condition.

The restoration will not only address the tapestry's immediate conservation needs but also allow researchers to investigate its craftsmanship, artistic sources, and place within the history of European textile production.

Although the museum has not announced a date for the tapestry's return to public display, the treatment is intended to make future exhibition possible.

For now, the enormous textile has begun a carefully planned transformation. After approximately a hundred years away from visitors, the banquet depicted in its woven threads may eventually be seen again.

And with it, another chapter of Florence's artistic heritage may return to view.