Study and Conservation-Restoration Intervention of an Italian Manicord (18th–20th Centuries) from the National Museum of Music

Abstract

This article presents the in-depth study and conservation-restoration intervention of the manicord attributed to Alfredo Keil, currently preserved at the Palácio Nacional de Mafra. The work is framed within the context of conservation and restoration research applied to historical musical instruments, combining scientific analysis methodologies  with a historical-artistic approach. The object, whose provenance is linked to nineteenth-century collecting and the forgeries of Leopoldo Franciolini, emerges as a paradigmatic example of the complex relationships between authenticity, romantic taste, and museological practices. The conservation state, technical examinations, and intervention choices are described, as well as the implications of restoration for the patrimonial and museological valorization of the piece