Restoration of The Annunciation by Fra Angelico

We are celebrating the restoration of this magnificent masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance performed by the Conservation Lab here at the Prado Museum. I brought back this wonderful piece to its original state and beauty after 600 years of trials and tribulations. We are so proud at American Friends of the Prado to have an equal partnership with Friends of Florence, been able to fund the important work done to restore this piece and we thank the Prado Museum for its excellent work and we thank all of our contributing members who have made this possible. There's a true privilege for Friends of Florence to be standing here in the restoration center of the Prado Museum. We are partnering with the American Friends of the Prado to restore this magnificent, magnificent Annunciation by Fra Angelico. Fra Angelico who is dear to our hearts, Friends of Florence has already restored other works of his in Florence in the San Marco Museum, but this Annunciation of the Prado is unique, outstanding. His work, the colors, the restoration itself done so well here by the restoration center of the Prado Museum really underlines how important it is to preserve our art and to show it to the public because these are the works that make history important, make conservation efforts important, safeguarding our heritage and our human memory. That is what is important so I thank the Prado Museum, I thank Christine Simmons for partnering with us from the American Friends of the Prado, thank all of the restoration center and especially our Friends of Florence donors. Beauty, history and being able to see these beautiful works. Thank you. Today is an important day for the Museo del Prado. We are presenting the wonderful restoration of Fra Angelico's Annunciation, an intervention that has been possible thanks to your generous support as director of the Museo del Prado. I want to express my gratitude to all of you. Thank you very much.