Manfredonia launches restoration of medieval frescoes

The municipality of Manfredonia has launched a project to recover and conserve the historical medieval frescoes located in the Cappella della Maddalena within Palazzo San Domenico. The artworks are currently facing severe degradation due to time and environmental conditions.

The chapel, which serves as the former absidal part of a late 13th-century church linked to the Dominican complex, contains significant works including frescoes of Saint Nicholas, Saint Dominic, the Tree of Jesse, and the Magdalene with the deposition of Christ.

The site has a complex history; after being separated from the church, it was filled with debris, buried, used as a watchtower, and later as a prison annex. The space was rediscovered in 1895, revealing the hidden frescoes. The restoration effort is being coordinated by the departments of Culture and Urban Planning in collaboration with the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio to determine the appropriate technical conservation methods.