Art & Exhibitions
Two of Bernini’s Best-Known Roman Attractions Get a Scrubbing
Sarah Cascone
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Two historic Roman attractions by Gian Lorenzo Bernini have been recently restored: St Peter’s Colonnade (1656–1673) in St. Peter’s Square, and the Fontana del Tritone, or Triton’s Fountain (1643), in Piazza Barberini on Quirinal Hill.
According to the Art Newspaper, the St. Peter’s project, the first since the 19th century, took six years. Roughly 100 workers carefully restored the colonnade’s 284 columns, 140 statues, and approximately 144,000 square feet of travertine tiling. The €14 million bill (over $19 million) was footed by several Italian businesses.
The fountain, also made of travertine, had been more recently renovated, some 15 years ago according to the Wall Street Journal. The restoration, as described by Museid Italia, involved cleaning and disinfecting the surfaces, removing limescale build up, and repairing the plumbing and drainage systems.
St. Peter’s Colonnade.
Photo: Sarah Cascone.
Restoration projects have been en vogue in Italy this year. Last month, Florence’s Piazza Del Duomo announced a planned facelift, while Bulgari is spending more than $2 million on renovations to the Spanish Steps in Rome.
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