Return to its original splendor

When today they finished dismantling all the scaffolding (the height of a ten-story building), exposing the canopy from the ceiling, which had hidden restoration work for almost a year, the work appeared exactly as it was in Bernini’s time, restoring its original scenic effect for visitors and pilgrims. The work is known to have been created between 1624 and 1635. Those present in the basilica, before such splendor, with that restored new light and radiance, were speechless. The bronze and pure gold used now sparkle from afar and even seem to give the basilica a different perspective. The effect between before and after is immediate. The dark, almost blackened and somewhat gloomy Baldachin is no longer there. The Bernini effect, intended by the great sculptor, has been preserved. The canopy catches the light and reflects the shine of pure gold from afar. Miracle. SYMBOLS The canopy is 30 meters high, the statues are 4 meters high, and the complexity comes from the difference in materials Bernini used: bronze, gold and wood. It was made for Pope Urban VIII (1623 – 1644), who directly entrusted the commission to his trusted architect Bernini – with the help of his father Pietro and brother Luigi, as well as Francesco Borromini and Carlo Maderno. The twisted columns, inspired by the marble columns located around the tomb of Peter in the old basilica, now appear almost to rotate on their own due to the optical effect of the gold leaf. The last restoration intervention dates back to 1758, when workers and specialized craftsmen worked on it for three months, with about 60 people taking part per day. After cleaning, oxidation was removed, various parts of the work were fixed, and some of the gilding was retouched. EFFECT AFTER RESTORATION BEFORE RESTORATION, DIFFERENCE