The restoration of the <i>Virgin Hodegetria icon, no. 3018</i> of the Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece, offers us a good opportunity to stress the importance of restoration for the study and evolution of works of art. The methods applied for the diagnosis and restoration of the damage to the icon brought to light a series of data which help us to understand the painter's technique and draw conclusions regarding the dating of the work, since the work bears no signature or date. The exposure of the painting to infrared and ultraviolet radiation revealed acts of vandalism and overpaintings, gradation of highlights, density of varnish, etc. The careful examination of the painting surface with the help of a stereo microscope disclosed the technical characteristics of the painter. The radiography of the work revealed the hagiographer's incised sketch of the Virgin and Child. Cross sections of the pictorial layers were examined. X-ray analysis of the pigments revealed hematitic ochre and cinnabar. -- AATA