Opificio delle pietre dure

Established as a Grand Ducal manufacture for the creation of objects in pietre dure decoration, that is, stone inlay, which were used to furnish the Medici’s residences and as gifts for European leaders. The Opificio delle Pietre Dure is today one of the foremost restoration institutes in the world, where works like the Riace bronzes, The Beheading of St John the Baptist by Caravaggio and Alchemy by Jackson Pollock were all brought back to life. The world’s top experts in conservation of artistic heritage are employed at the Opificio…. The Museum showcases the Opificio’s splendid history of production. Visitors can observe the collection’s extraordinary pieces and discover the secrets of the so-called “Florentine mosaic,” the stone inlay technique for which Florence is known throughout the world.