MILAN (AP) — A 15th-century statue that once stood outside Milan’s iconic Duomo has found a new home.
The Bearded Saint with the Book was recently restored under the “Adopt a Statue” program, launched in 2020 by the centuries-old institution that oversees the cathedral’s conservation. From February 13, it is on display in Piazzale Cadorna, behind a glass window at the headquarters of FNM, a transport company based in Lombardy.
The program recruits donors – either companies or individuals – to finance the restoration of a statue under a loan agreement that allows it to be occasionally displayed outside the Duomo.
“The uniqueness of this project is that statues that would otherwise remain in our deposits are restored and brought back to their original beauty,” said the project manager of the program, Elisa Mantia, in an interview with The Associated Press. “In that way, they can continue to tell the story of the Duomo even in places that are far from the monument.”
These agreements in some cases are given for an initial term of one year and can be renewed. The initiative follows previous fundraising campaigns in which donors could adopt gargoyles or spires in exchange for inclusion in the Duomo’s donor register, where contributors’ names are recorded as part of the cathedral’s long history of support.
From storage to public display
The construction of the Duomo began in 1386, under the rule of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then owner of Milan, in collaboration with the archbishop of the city. The cathedral was built on the site of two pre-existing basilicas and took more than five centuries to complete. One of its bronze doors was not installed until 1965.
Because the construction lasted for centuries, the statues of the Duomo were carved by artists from different regions and periods, resulting in a monument that reads like a timeline of evolving artistic styles.
The Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, which oversees the cathedral’s conservation, has sought funds to restore statues that have been removed over the centuries for maintenance or security reasons.
“Culture can save the world,” Andrea Gibelli, president of the FNM, said during a press conference on February 13 to mark the unveiling of Bearded Saint with Book. “We want to spread the cultural richness that we are lucky enough to have, which are often ignored or not fully appreciated.”
Other sculptures adopted under the program by different sponsors included David from the 16th century, a representation of Samson and the Lion, and a statue of Saint Matthew the Apostle.
While the number of statues adopted is not disclosed and not all are displayed in public spaces, Mantia said that her institution has pre-selected around 30 sculptures as eligible for restoration. Each case must be authorized by Italy’s cultural heritage authorities, as the process involves a formal loan agreement subject to conservation, insurance and transport regulations.
“We usually choose them because they are very beautiful and not so damaged that they are not safe to borrow,” said Mantia.
Once a donor arrives, experts like Mantia accompany them to the Duomo’s storage facilities to select a sculpture. Once selected, restoration typically takes between one and three months.
Marble of centuries
A Bearded Saint with a Book was originally shown outside. Other than a black crust from air pollution on its surface, it had no structural damage that would prevent its loan.
“This often involves only surface finishing or intervention with compresses or mechanical cleaning,” said Mantia.
The marble used for both the statues and the Duomo itself comes from the quarries of Candoglia in the Piedmont region of Italy. The same stone has been used since the end of the 14th century, under the supervision of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo.
“Beyond the symbol of Milan, the Duomo is also a symbol of its history,” said Mantia. “It is a monument that grew together with the city, which tells in itself, in its statues and in the style in which it is decorated, the entire history of the city.”
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