Tiziano masterpiece restored in Venice church

The restoration of Titian Vecellio’s “Transfiguration of Christ,” located on the high altar of the San Salvador church in Venice, has been completed. The project, which began in January 2026, was funded by Save Venice with support from Arnold M. Bernstein.

The intervention was necessitated by a malfunction in a previous movement system that caused a tear in the canvas. This damage exacerbated existing structural issues, including deep erosion and gaps along the lower edges that threatened the painting’s stability on its frame.

Restorers, led by Valentina Piovan, performed a complex repair of the textile support by realigning original fibers and stitching the tear. Fragile areas were reinforced with shaped silk veil. Additionally, a cleaning process using gel solvents removed altered varnish, old retouches, and overpainting. This cleaning revealed the work’s full authenticity, confirming it as a solo work by Titian rather than a workshop product, and highlighting the artist’s late style.