The sculptures of the main façade of the Vittoriano
shine again thanks to Bvlgari’s contributionfollowing the major restoration project started by VIVE-Victorian and Palazzo Venezia, directed by Edith Gabrielli. A project that confirms the Maison’s strong bond with the city of Rome and its priceless heritage. An initiative of “high patronage” born from a full sharing of intentions and values between VIVE-Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia and Bvlgari in the context of the conservation and enhancement of the historical-artistic heritage. Directed by Gabrielli herself and performed by Susanna Sarmati, the restoration, which began last March and concluded in Octoberin full compliance with the scheduled times, h
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involved the marble sculptures depicting the Adriatic Sea by Emilio Quadrelli and the Tyrrhenian Sea by Pietro Canonica, the gilded bronze sculptures depicting ‘Il Pensiero’ by Giulio Monteverde and ‘L’Azione’ by Francesco Jerace and the flagpoles by Gaetano Vannicola with the Victories of Edoardo Rubino and Edoardo De Albertis
. ”The Vittoriano, a monument of extraordinary importance for history and the identity of the Nation, is at the same time a significant work of art – said Gabrielli during the presentation of the restoration – it is for the architecture of Giuseppe Sacconi, it is for the plastic decoration, carried out by some of the main sculptors of the time. The chromatic harmony between the whiteness of the Botticino marble and the golden finish of the bronze elements has been restoredthe main façade of the Vittoriano presents itself today to the eyes of citizens and tourists in all its magnificence. This is a path that we have undertaken together with Bvlgari, through a profitable public-private alliance for the protection and enhancement of our historical-artistic heritage”. The restoration, concluded Gabrielli, ”is based on the great principles of Italian restoration: bring the works back to legibility to block degradation and restore the image without erasing the passage of time which is the principle of Italian restoration”.
“The restoration of the sculptures of the main façade of the Vittoriano is added to one long sequence of restoration works that began more than 20 years ago – said Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of the Bvlgari Group to Adnkronos – we also participated in the restoration of the Torlonia collection that for the first time it was exhibited outside Italy, at the Louvre. We are immensely proud to have contributed to the restoration of the Vittoriano sculpturesan extraordinary and imposing monument which, with its majesty, embodies a profound link between past and present, standing in the heart of Rome and celebrating the unification of Italy. U
a unity that over the course of 150 years has led Italy to be one of the most important economic powers in the world and this unity has made the strength of the small-medium companies of which Bvlgari is also part. Our intervention was mainly focused on the marble and bronze sculptures, which we consider the jewels of the Vittoriano – added the CEO of the Bvlgari Group – The Ether Cityalready
has always been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Bvlgari, and for us it is essential to enhance, preserve and make its extraordinary historical and cultural heritage accessible to the public. This commitment represents not only a responsibility towards our history, but also an essential value for building a future that allows us to pass on our legacy to generations to come”.
In full compliance with the methodological principles of Italian restoration, a team of expert operators, among the best in the sector, she intervened to ensure the conservation and legibility of the marble and bronze sculptures created at the beginning of the twentieth century by some of the most important artists on the national scene. The intervention – entirely supported by Bvlgari through the Art Bonus – it made it possible, in particular, to block the forms of degradation present and to restore the quality of the modeling of the stone surfaces of the fountains as well as the golden finishes of the bronze elements. At the same time, the restoration allowed for a more in-depth knowledge of the processes of creation of the artistic artefacts of the monument carried out, all in the same period, by different authors. A historical-artistic heritage
unique in the world
which, for the entire duration of the works, remained accessible to citizens and tourists thanks to a program of guided tours which also included the works being restored and which received great appreciation from the public also thanks to the possibility of climbing onto the scaffolding and seeing the operators working on the works live. A method, that of the ‘open construction site’, already adopted by the Institute on the occasion of the conservative restoration of the Altare della Patria aimed at bringing the public closer to a full knowledge of the monument.