On Tuesday, the restoration of one of the Vatican Museums‘ most prized artworks was unveiled. The Apollo Belvedere is a marble sculpture of the eponymous Greek god dating back to the 2nd century CE.
The statue, executed by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli, is a Roman copy of an original bronze statue created by the Greek sculptor Leochares between 330 and 320 BCE. It shows the god having just shot an arrow and is known for its slight figure and delicately curled hair. Pope Julius II brought the piece to the Vatican in the early 16th century.
In 2019, it was removed from public view for repairs; however, there were pandemic-related breaks during several long closures as a result of Italy’s lockdowns. Fractures in its knees and legs, along with a laser cleaning and the installation of a carbon fiber pole anchored to the base to increase stability, took restoration experts years to complete.
“This type of restoration… is the expression of what we want the Vatican Museums to be,” Barbara Jatta, the Museums’ director, told Reuters. “A balance of tradition, linguistics and study, with a gaze that looks to the future.”
The Vatican Museums house some of the world’s greatest masterpieces from ancient Rome, Egypt, and the Renaissance. They receive some seven million visitors per year, which generates roughly $100 million.
