Luxury jeweler Bulgari has announced its plan to sponsor the restoration of the bronze sculptures and marble statues adorning the Vittoriano monument in Rome’s central Piazza Venezia. The €240,000 restoration project will be entirely financed by Bulgari through the government’s Art Bonus, a tax credit equal to 65 per cent of charitable contributions made by individuals or companies in support of public cultural heritage.
The restoration will focus on conserving the sculptures on the main façade of the Vittoriano, with a particular emphasis on restoring the golden shine of the bronze works. Edith Gabrielli, the director of VIVE – Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia, emphasized the artistic, historical, and symbolic value of these works, stating, “They materialise the founding values of our Risorgimento and, at the same time, of our Constitution. Preserving and enhancing them is our essential duty, especially for new generations.”
This project highlights the strong connection between Bulgari and Rome, the city where the company was founded in 1844. In recent years, Bulgari has funded several important restorations in Rome, including the Spanish Steps and the Largo Argentina archaeological site. Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, expressed the brand’s commitment to the city, saying, “For Bulgari, the Eternal City is not only the place where the brand was born 140 years ago, but also an inexhaustible source of inspiration for all the Maison’s creations. Monuments, buildings, architecture that we observe every day and that we must preserve as a tribute to the history of this wonderful city.”
The restoration project will include works such as the marble sculptures representing the Adriatic Sea by Emilio Quadrelli and the Tyrrhenian Sea by Pietro Canonica, as well as the gilded bronze sculptures symbolising “il Pensiero” (Thought) by Giulio Monteverde and “l’Azione” (Action) by Francesco Jerace, among others. The project is scheduled to run from March 4th until September of this year, during which time visitors can observe the restoration work up close and follow progress updates on the Vittoriano website.
The Vittoriano, a colossal monument dedicated to the first king of a unified Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, was designed by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1878 following the monarch’s death. Construction began in 1885 and involved the extensive demolition of pre-existing mediaeval and Renaissance buildings on the Capitoline Hill. After Sacconi’s death in 1905, the project was entrusted to architects Gaetano Koch, Manfredo Manfredi, and Pio Piacentini. The partly-finished monument was inaugurated on June 4th, 1911, marking the 50th anniversary of Italian unification, but was not completed until 1935. The Vittoriano also houses the Altar of the Fatherland, which has hosted the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Milite Ignoto) since 1921. The monument plays a central role in official ceremonies on key national dates in Italy and hosts a museum dedicated to the Risorgimento.
