One of the oldest crucifixes in Europe reappears in all its splendor: the Holy Face of Lucca

The Holy Face of Lucca, one of the oldest and best-preserved wooden crucifixes in the Western world, is finally back in its historic location within the Cathedral of San Martino, after a major restoration lasting over three years. This event represents not only a significant artistic and religious milestone, but also a crucial occasion for the city, which prepares to celebrate with renewed emotion its most revered icon, a symbol of identity for over a thousand years.

The restoration, completed in September 2025 and coordinated by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence in collaboration with the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Lucca, has returned the Holy Face to its appearance between the 9th and 17th centuries, bringing to light the colors, decorative details, and precious polychrome work that had long been hidden by dark overpainting. Thanks to diagnostic interventions and sophisticated analyses conducted on the artifact, it was possible to precisely identify the wooden structure, the construction technique, and the various phases of pictorial stratification that have marked the history of the sculpture.

Dated to the 9th century by all recent radiocarbon studies, the Holy Face is made of walnut, carved from a single trunk completely hollowed out from the inside, to which the arms were joined using ancient systems of housings protected by textile bands. The connection to the cross, composed of six pins of different woods, was reinforced during the restoration to maintain its original integrity, without altering the ancient joints. Furthermore, fragile or damaged parts were consolidated using non-invasive methods that ensure the artifact's stability and structural safety even under the most intense mechanical stresses.

The restoration work led to the discovery of a valuable fragmentary mural painting on the back of the Civitali temple, where the Holy Face was once located: an aniconic decoration featuring lozenges, vegetal swirls, wheels, and an ochre-colored cross, likely dating to an earlier period than the current 15th-century marble shrine. The results of the analyses have allowed us to reconstruct not only the history of the crucifix and its material transformations, but also the architectural layout of the area that hosted its veneration by pilgrims over the centuries.

An exceptional aspect of the sculpture is the presence of the glass paste eyes, created by remelting Roman-era glass: a detail unprecedented in medieval Christian statuary, which gives Christ's face a particular intensity and expressive power. The "occhi terribilis" of the Holy Face, which tradition describes as instilling awe and spirituality, now shine once again in the dim light of the chapel, offering visitors the opportunity to engage with one of Europe's most powerful sacred images.

During the restoration phase, a multidisciplinary team of art historians, scientific experts, restorers, and technicians conducted radiographic and stratigraphic investigations and laboratory tests that clarified the execution technique and iconographic evolution of the work. The tests revealed that the iconography of Christ Triumphans remained essentially unchanged from the Carolingian period to the 17th century, with only a few cosmetic modifications due to changes in taste in subsequent eras. Christ's dark blue robe, created with lapis lazuli pigments and gold details, belongs to a noble and solemn tradition that recalls biblical heroes and great figures from sacred history.

The Holy Face of Lucca has always played a central role in European devotion. Already in the Middle Ages, it was a destination for pilgrimages from every corner of the continent, becoming a true "totem" of Western Christianity. Legend has it that it was sculpted by Nicodemus and miraculously landed in Lucca during a miraculous crossing. The iconographic success of the image is attested by numerous texts, including chronicles, poems, miniatures, and art objects inspired by its formal and spiritual motifs.

The ceremony of its return to worship, scheduled for September 13th, coincides with the Feast of the Holy Cross and represents one of the most solemn moments for the church of Lucca. Archbishop Paolo Giulietti will preside over the official reopening of the chapel, followed by a series of cultural events, guided tours, liturgical services, and educational programs. The Cathedral of San Martino, where the sculpture has been kept for over a millennium, will be the stage for a celebration that unites history, faith, and art, with the participation of city institutions, the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, and local communities.

The new display also enhances the safety and security features, allowing the sculpture to be admired from different perspectives in a museum setting that welcomes the faithful and tourists with transparency, care, and knowledge. Dedicated lighting systems have been installed to enhance the polychrome recovered from the restoration and allow for every nuance of the figure, making the spiritual and artistic centrality of the Holy Face tangible.

The results obtained from the restoration diagnostics will be made available to the scientific community and visitors through a dedicated publication and a documentary exhibition. The workshop, with the support of national research institutes, has created digital models, photographs, videos, and explanatory materials that will enable future study of the sculpture and its transformations over time. The Holy Face of Lucca thus establishes itself as an example of excellence in the protection and enhancement of Italian heritage.

During the restoration, the sculpture was also subjected to anoxic treatments against biological agents and harmful overpainting, in addition to targeted interventions to consolidate the removed paint layer and perform the initial internal and external surface cleaning. The meticulous conservation work has preserved the original material, ensuring its future enjoyment by the faithful and scholars.

The Holy Face has once again become a space for meeting and meditation, welcoming the faithful, the curious, historians, tourists, and art enthusiasts in the heart of Lucca Cathedral. The rebirth of the wooden crucifix demonstrates how dedication, research, and dialogue between institutions can save millennia-old masterpieces from oblivion and restore universal symbols of faith and beauty to all of us.