The restoration of the Baldacchino di San Pietro, a masterpiece by Bernini and Borromini, is set to commence. The intervention will last about ten months, from the second half of February until December 2024. It is a symbolic restoration because the Baldacchino - that stands solemnly above the high altar as tall as a ten-story building - "is the fulcrum of the Basilica" and "marks with its magnificence the place of the Tomb of the Apostle Peter, to whom the Vatican Basilica is dedicated". The restoration, which has been entrusted to a team of professionals with extensive experience, takes place 250 years after the significant conservation interventions of the eighteenth century and 400 years after the Baldacchino's construction began. Preliminary findings suggest a poor condition of conservation necessitating extreme care. All of the monument's surfaces are covered in a black patina, which makes the gilding partially visible, changing and mortifying it. However, it is worth noting that the Basilica receives a daily influx of up to 50,000 visitors. Consequently, the superstructure is particularly susceptible to microclimatic fluctuations that promote expansion, oxidation, metal corrosion, and other such phenomena. The Order of the Knights of Columbus is funding the renovation, which will cost 700,000 euros.
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