Historic Duomo Statue Finds New Home in Milan as Part of Innovative Restoration Program

A 15th-century marble statue that once adorned Milan’s iconic Duomo cathedral has found a new home in the city’s urban landscape. The “Bearded Saint with Book,” recently restored under the cathedral’s “Adopt a Statue” program, is now displayed at Piazzale Cadorna behind a glass window at the headquarters of FNM, a Lombardy-based transport company.

Launched in 2020 by the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, the institution that has overseen the cathedral’s conservation for centuries, the program invites companies and individuals to fund the restoration of statues under loan agreements that allow them to be displayed outside the cathedral.

“The uniqueness of this project is that statues that would otherwise remain in our deposits are restored and brought back to their original beauty,” explained Elisa Mantia, the program’s project manager, 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 loan agreements typically begin with one-year terms and may be renewed. The initiative follows previous successful fundraising campaigns where donors could adopt gargoyles or spires in exchange for inclusion in the Duomo’s donor register, where contributors’ names become part of the cathedral’s historical record.

The Duomo’s construction began in 1386 under Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then lord of Milan, in collaboration with the city’s archbishop. Built on the site of two earlier basilicas, the cathedral’s completion stretched over more than five centuries, with one bronze door not installed until 1965.

This extended construction timeline resulted in a monument that showcases evolving artistic styles across different periods, as sculptors from various regions and eras contributed to its decoration. The cathedral effectively serves as a physical timeline of artistic development in northern Italy.

The Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo has been seeking funding to restore numerous statues that were removed from the cathedral over centuries for maintenance or safety reasons. Without such restoration efforts, these artistic treasures would remain in storage, unseen by the public.

“Culture can save the world,” said Andrea Gibelli, president of FNM, during the February 13 unveiling ceremony for the Bearded Saint. “We want to spread the cultural riches we are fortunate to have, which are often overlooked or not fully appreciated.”

Other sculptures restored under the program by different sponsors include a 16th-century David, a depiction of Samson and the Lion, and a statue of Saint Matthew the Apostle.

While the exact number of adopted statues remains undisclosed, Mantia revealed that the institution has preselected approximately 30 sculptures as eligible for restoration. Each restoration case must receive authorization from Italy’s cultural heritage authorities, as the process involves formal loan agreements subject to strict conservation, insurance, and transport regulations.

“We usually select them because they are very beautiful and not so damaged that they would be unsafe to loan,” Mantia explained.

The selection process involves experts like Mantia accompanying potential donors to the Duomo’s storage facilities to choose a sculpture. Once selected, restoration typically takes between one and three months.

The Bearded Saint with Book was originally displayed outdoors on the cathedral. While it had developed a black crust from air pollution on its surface, it had no structural damage that would prevent its loan and display.

“This often involves only surface finishing or an intervention with compresses or mechanical cleaning,” Mantia noted about the restoration process.

The marble used for both the statues and the Duomo itself comes from the quarries of Candoglia in Italy’s Piedmont region. This same distinctive stone has been used consistently since the late 14th century under the supervision of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, creating a remarkable consistency in the monument’s appearance despite its centuries-long construction.

“Beyond being the symbol of Milan, the Duomo is also a symbol of its history,” Mantia said. “It is a monument that grew together with the city, that tells within itself, in its statues and in the style with which it is decorated, the entire history of the city.”