Vittoriano
On Wednesday November 20th, following the major restoration project launched by the VIVE, directed by Edith Gabrielli, the sculptures on the Vittoriano's main façade will once again shine thanks to Bvlgari's contribution, confirming the Maison's strong bond with the city of Rome and its inestimable heritage.
An initiative of high patronage born from a full sharing of intentions and values between the VIVE-Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia and Bvlgari in the field of conservation and enhancement of historical and artistic heritage.
Directed by Edith Gabrielli and carried out by Susanna Sarmati, the restoration - which began last March and was completed in October, right on schedule - involved the marble sculptures depicting ‘Il Mare Adriatico’ by Emilio Quadrelli and ‘Il Mar Tirreno’ 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 ‘Vittorie’ by Edoardo Rubino and Edoardo De Albertis.
In full compliance with the methodological principles of Italian restoration, a team of expert operators, among the excellence of the sector, has intervened to ensure the conservation and legibility of the marble and bronze sculptures created in the early 20th century by some of the most important artists on the national scene.
The intervention - entirely supported by Bvlgari through the Art Bonus - made it possible, in particular, to block the forms of degradation present and to restore the quality of the modelling of the stone surfaces of the fountains as well as the gilded finish of the bronze elements. At the same time, the restoration has allowed a deeper understanding of the processes involved in the creation of the monument's artistic artefacts, all of which were executed in the same period by different authors.
"The Vittoriano, a monument of extraordinary importance for the history and identity of the Nation, is at the same time a significant work of art: it is so for the architecture by Giuseppe Sacconi, it is so for the plastic decoration, carried out by some of the most important sculptors of the time. Having restored the chromatic harmony between the whiteness of the Botticino marble and the golden finish of the bronze elements, the Vittoriano's main façade now presents itself to the eyes of citizens and tourists in all its magnificence. This is a path that we have undertaken together with Bvlgari, through a fruitful public-private alliance for the protection and enhancement of our historical and artistic heritage", says Edith Gabrielli, Director of the VIVE-Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia.
Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of the Bvlgari Group comments: "We are immensely proud to have contributed to the restoration of the Vittoriano sculptures, an extraordinary and imposing monument that, with its majesty, embodies a profound link between past and present, standing in the heart of Rome and celebrating the unification of Italy. Our intervention was mainly focused on the marble and bronze sculptures, which we consider the jewels of the Vittoriano. The Eternal City has always been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Bvlgari, and it is essential for us 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 in building a future that will allow us to pass on our heritage to generations to come".
A unique historical-artistic heritage that, for the entire duration of the works, remained accessible to citizens and tourists thanks to a programme of guided tours that was greatly appreciated by the public, also thanks to the possibility of climbing up onto the scaffolding and seeing live the operators at work on the works.
A method, that of the "open building 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.
