Workers lifted metal sheets to the sides of the canopy. They installed scaffolding that will cover the canopy during the restoration so that all liturgical celebrations can continue, without interruption to the restoration work.
“The restoration will be completed at the end of November 2024. So, it will be ready for a new splendor, for the 200th anniversary,” said Alberto Capitanucci of the Fabbrica of St. Peter's, which looks after the maintenance of the Basilica.
The structure was placed above the main altar of the Basilica to cover the tomb of St. Peter below. The structure was built in the 1620s to 1630s when Pope Urban VIII commissioned baroque architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini to create a canopy covering the saint's tomb.
Pope Urban VIII was a member of the Barberini family, Roman nobles. The three bees from the family coat of arms figure prominently in almost all of Bernini's works.
Scaffolding surrounds Giovan Lorenzo Bernini's 17th-century 95-foot bronze canopy at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Wednesday, February 21, 2024. (Photo: AP/Andrew Medichini)
Baldachin is considered to be one of the most intricate works of art of all time. The building uses several materials at once, including marble, bronze, wood, gold and iron. In the end, the creation of the structure involved many other artists and craftsmen, including the great architect of the time, Francesco Borromini.
The restoration will rely on the expertise of the Vatican Museums' preservation experts. Every day, up to 12 experts will work on the restoration of the structure. What they did marked the first comprehensive work in 250 years on Baldachin, a structure the height of a 10-story building.
The canopy is supported by four large spiral columns decorated with gold-plated fairies and olive branches. The carvings were inspired by the marble columns surrounding St. Peter's tomb in the ancient basilica, which is on the site of today's St. Peter's Church, the largest church in the world.
Scaffolding installed on a 95-foot bronze anopy by Giovan Lorenzo Bernini at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, Wednesday, February 21, 2024. (Photo: AP/Andrew Medichini)
Canopy restoration is generally a systematic cleaning of dust and dirt covering the structure. This was not easy to do considering that at the top of each column weighing 9 tonnes was perched a statue of a winged fairy. The weight of each fairy is 2.5 tons.
“Cleaning is our first goal. As for metal, bronze and gold, of course after cleaning, specifically for gold there is also an inspection of the adhesive strength, condition of the gold and the gold leaf. “For stone materials, there are parts that overlap, parts that don't fit that have to be removed, and then cleaned and polished again like we do with other stone elements,” said Capitanucci.
Restoration was also carried out for conservation considering that several parts of the canopy were starting to become damaged. In addition, some of the materials used have degraded over hundreds of years due to changes in temperature and humidity. This was inevitable as 50,000 people came to the basilica every day. As a result, the basilica's microclimate changed, Capitanucci said.
Pope Francis will inaugurate the 200th anniversary celebration by opening the Holy Doors of the Basilica in early 2025.
The cost of the restoration is estimated at around $770 thousand and is funded entirely by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic organization based in the United States. (ka/hour)