The Heritage Foundation and the municipality of Falicon are joining forces to restore the painting from the parish church of the Nativity of Our Lady of the Virgin.
The signing of the agreement and the launch of the subscription took place this Monday at the Falicon Town Hall in the presence of Gisèle Kruppert, mayor of Falicon, Jean-Louis Marques, departmental delegate of the Heritage Foundation, and the town’s elected officials.
Situated in the church built in 1624, the painting depicts a dual scenic arrangement, with the Virgin and child surrounded by angels at the top and Saint Blaise, Saint Claude, and Saint Vincent, the winter patron of Falicon, at the bottom. This oil on canvas, whose author remains unknown, is likely from the early 18th century.
It is part of a rich collection that includes baroque-style paintings like a beautiful Nativity, 17th-century engravings of the Evangelists, stucco reliefs, a font dated 1606, and a Renaissance-style baptistery. There is also the presence of processional statues of the Virgin of the Rosary, the summer patroness, and Saint Vincent, the winter patron of Falicon.
The “furnishings” of village churches and chapels in the Alpes-Maritimes are rich but neglected. We should welcome the decision of the municipality of Falicon to highlight them.
Following analyses and UV and photographic examinations, it was found that the painting has undergone repainting over its entirety and shows numerous cracks, lifting, and visible losses to the naked eye. The paint layer has a thin and irregular varnish suffering from generalized efflorescence (mold that clouds the varnish) which can promote the colonization of the work by microorganisms. The restoration of this painting has become urgent.
