Frescoes in the famous Florentine church of Santa Croce are to get a facelift thanks to a Renaissance-mad Japanese art history professor who has handed over his entire inheritance for the project.
Takaharu Miyashita donated the 12 million yen (90,000 euros) left to him by his parents to the church so that paintings on the side sections that delimit the chapel can be restored.
''Like me, my father loved Florence and Italian painting, especially Renaissance painting,'' Miyashita said.
''That's why I decided to donate what he left me for our common passion, for the art of the fresco in Florence,'' he said.
This will be the second time that the church benefits from Miyashita's passion.
After a long stint working at Florence university, the professor made a television documentary about Florentine frescoes that was broadcast in Japan.
As a result of watching it, Japanese businessman Tetsuya Kuroda fell in love with Italian art and donated 150 million yen (1.13 million euros) to the church in 2005.
The donation is currently being used to restore the main cycle of frescoes painted by Agnolo Gaddi in 1380-1390, with work expected to finish in 2010.
The Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is the largest Franciscan church in the world and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church.
Many famous Italians are buried there including Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Giovanni Gentile and Gioachino Rossini - giving it its other name, the Pantheon of Italian Glories.
Its most notable features are its 16 chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs.
Legend says Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself.
At Easter 2008 the bells of Santa Croce rang out for the first time in five years after they were honed to produce less vibration and lowered by about three metres to prevent damage to the church's belfry, which was badly shaken in a gale in 2004.
