Pinin Brambilla Barcilon 100 years after birth

Study day

1 December 2025, 2 p.m.
Aula Magna, ‘La Venaria Reale’ Conservation Centre

On the centenary of the birth of Pinin Brambilla Barcilon (1925-2025), the Restoration Conservation Centre ‘La Venaria Reale’, custodian of her archive and witness to her passionate and constant work, dedicates a day of studies to her.

The initiative aims to present the results of the work of inventorying, digitising and sorting the archive, carried out over the last five years, and outline the scientific profile of Pinin Brambilla. The day will see the participation of works directors, art historians, university professors, restorers and communication experts who have worked alongside him.

The Centre thus intends to draw the attention of the scientific community and promote an interdisciplinary dialogue on conservation and the history of restoration, enhancing the ‘knowing how to see’, a true legacy that Pinin Brambilla Barcilon left with his work.

14.00
Institutional greetings and start of work

Alfonso Frugis,
President of the Restoration Conservation Centre ‘La Venaria Reale’ (JRC)

Speakers

Luigi La Rocca,
Director DiT – Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture

Angelo Crespi,
Director Pinacoteca di Brera (TBC)

Corrado Azzollini,
Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Turin, JRC Scientific Director

Gianluca Cuniberti,
Rector of the University of Turin

Jaime Alberto Barcilon Brambilla

Introduces and moderates

Stefania De Blasi,
Head of the JRC Communication and Documentation Area

14.50 – 15.10
Pinin Brambilla at JRC: a path of conservation and experimentation

Michela Cardinali,
Director of Restoration Laboratories and JRC School of Advanced Training

15.10 – 15.30
Brambilla and Brera: the archives between Cenacolo and Soprintendenza

Chiara Rostagno,
Head of Strategic Projects Management, Deputy Director Pinacoteca di Brera, Palazzo Citterio, National Library Braidense and Executive Director of the National Museum of the Last Supper Vinciano

15.30 – 15.50
Pinin Brambilla and the restoration of Leonardo's Last Supper: method and passion

Pietro Marani,
Honorary Professor Politecnico di Milano and President of the Ente Collezione Vinciana di Milano

15.50 – 16.10
Pinin Brambilla: on some restorations in Lombardy

Emanuela Daffra,
Superintendent Opificio delle Pietre Dure

16.10 – 16.30
In the lab with Pinin. The places, the method, the vision, the experience

Alessandro Gatti,
CCR restorer in collaboration with the restorers of Pinin Brambilla's studio

16.30 – 17.00
Ordering and digitisation of the Pinin Brambilla Professional Archive

Stefania De Blasi,
Head of the JRC Communication and Documentation Area

Chiara Pipino,
JRC archivist

Edi Guerzoni,
PhD student University of Turin

17.00 – 18.00
Round table – Moderate

Pietro Petraroia,
AD Culture Value

Speakers

Silvia Cecchini,
Associate Professor at Roma Tre University

Maria Beatrice Failla,
Associate Professor, University of Turin

Kazounori Iwakura,
Journalist coordinator

Michela Palazzo,
Lombardy Regional Museums Directorate – former Director of the National Museum of the Last Supper

Lanfranco Secco Suardo,
President of the Giovanni Secco Suardo Association

18.00 – 18.30
Debate and conclusions
On this occasion, the volume will be presented. Knowing how to see. The professional archive of Pinin Brambilla Barcilon, edited by Stefania De Blasi, published by CoRes.

Followed by a visit to the archive and an aperitif.