Vittoriano
Rome, 20 August 2024 - As part of the major restoration project of the Vittoriano's sculptures promoted by VIVE, directed by Edith Gabrielli, the left flagpole designed by Gaetano Vannicola and the Winged Victory by Edoardo Rubino are returned to citizens and tourists. Thus, the gilded finish of the bronze elements in the design by Giuseppe Sacconi, the monument's architect, once again shines in all its magnificence.
Directed by Edith Gabrielli and carried out by Susanna Sarmati, the restoration project - realised thanks to the contribution of Bvlgari - is aimed at ensuring the preservation and restoring full legibility of the sculptures on the main façade of the famous monument dedicated to Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of Italy, created in the early 20th century by some of the most important artists on the national scene.
The dismantling of the scaffolding of the left flagpole will take the whole week and will end with the unveiling of the Winged Victory by the Turinese sculptor Edoardo Rubino: the Italian flag will thus be able to fly over the monument once again.
The flagpole has a bell-shaped base adorned with festoons and a Roman eagle at the top, both in gilded bronze; the Winged Victory hovering over the prow of a Roman ship, just below, is also in gilded bronze, in calibrated harmony with the white Botticino marble characteristic of the Vittoriano.
‘In architect Giuseppe Sacconi's design, the Vittoriano stood out for the chromatic balance between the whiteness of the Botticino and the golden finish of the bronze sculptures and ornaments. Existing documentation, including a drawing from February 1888, and analyses conducted directly on the works speak for themselves in this regard. However, the degradation caused by years, pollution and weathering had now hidden this finish from view. In full compliance with the methodological principles of Italian restoration, we decided to reintegrate the image conceived by Sacconi, restoring full legibility to the original gilding. Today everyone can see the first results of this work in the left flagpole. In a few weeks, by October, we will conclude the restoration of the second flagpole and the two monumental groups of Il Pensiero and L'Azione, respectively by Giulio Monteverde and Francesco Jerace. I invite everyone to take advantage of the free guided tours during this period, which, in the spirit of the ‘open building site’, allow you to climb up onto the scaffolding and watch the restorers at work. Several people have done so in recent months, including Carla, a kind and dynamic 78-year-old lady,’ says Edith Gabrielli, Director of the VIVE-Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia.
The restoration revealed that the gold finish was covered by the oxidation process of the bronze, particularly on corners and undercuts, and by lemon-yellow repainting that had been applied over time. It was thus possible to bring to the surface the gilded finish that had been hidden by oxidation deposits and previous interventions.
The work was carried out by a team of expert restorers, among the Italian excellences in the sector, who, thanks to the ‘open’ building site method - realised with a system of transparent scaffolding - can be admired by citizens and tourists during all phases of the work.
Restoration work continues on the Mare Adriatico fountain by Emilio Quadrelli, on the gilded bronze sculptures depicting Il Pensiero by Giulio Monteverde and L'Azione by Francesco Jerace. Starting next week, the scaffolding on the right flagpole with Edoardo De Albertis' Winged Victory will be set up. The entire intervention is scheduled for completion by the end of October.
In order to discover the techniques up close and learn about the conservation problems of the sculptures and the solutions adopted, the VIVE - Vittoriano e Palazzo Venezia has promoted a series of guided tours since the start of the work, during which it is possible to climb up onto the scaffolding and check the progress of the intervention. This initiative has been a great success with the public and will be held again on 12 September 2024 at 10.00 a.m., in line with the continuous and fruitful dialogue that the Institute has always pursued with its community.
Visits to the restoration site are free of charge and reserved for a maximum of 15 people per shift by sending a request to: vi-ve.edu@cultura.gov.it
