In 30 months, St. Peter’s Square to resemble the 1600s (Restoration project begins)

L'Osservatore Romano ^ | August 13, 2011

[NYer]

In thirty months, St. Peters Square will return to looking like that which was conceived and built in the second half of the 1600s. Work has already begun on the Bernini columns and soon they will be restored in all of their original color and brilliance; as one of the most important Baroque symbols, famous not only in architecture and urban planning – as a space dedicated to public religious ceremonies – but also as highly allegorical artistic representation of an ecumenical embrace of the universal Church to all people.

The immense construction site aims to restore all of the architectural and decorative elements of the Square: 284 columns, 92 pillars, 140 statues, 6 papal coat of arms, 1200 meters of balustrade and crown mouldings as well as 3400 square meters of paneled ceilings. Then there are the two celebrated twin fountains – the Clementina and the Gregoriana – and of course, the Egyptian obelisk in granite, 42 meters high, erected in 1586 by Sixtus V at the center of the Square. Even the 18th century lamps around the obelisk will be restored, according to the Director of Technical Services of the Governatorate, Pier Carlo Cuscianna.

This immense project, “made possible thanks to generous sponsors and Divine Providence,” said Cuscianna, “will take around two and a half years and will involve detailed direction from the Governatorate of the Vatican City State,” who will work with the engineers and architects in specific areas of planning, verifying and execution of the works.

Scientific, artistic, historical and monumental aspects will be handled by the Vatican Museums, directed by Antonio Paolucci and supported by a group of expert restorers, specialists and researchers from the Superintendence of Architectural Heritage of the Vatican City State. The duty of regulating the financing of the work and its execution will lie with the Direction of the Accounting of the State and the Juridical Office. The general restoration and works have been tendered to the Associazione Temporanea di Imprese: Italiana Costruzioni and Fratelli Navarra. Cuscianna emphasizes that the most significant contribution to the project has been given by the President of the Governatorate, Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo who has, “steered clearly and firmly in these turbulent economic and financial times,” and the Secretary General, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano’ in “putting together this long and arduous interdisciplinary undertaking.”

[NYer]

Ping!

[Tax-chick]

No bathrooms? Good thing I’ll be staying home, then.

[seton89]

Angeli sunt.

[Tax-chick]

Typhoid, cholera, the Black Death ...

No, but seriesly, I’m sure it will be lovely. I’ll catch in on “Rick Steves’ Europe.”

[ken21]

lol!

[Oratam]

Will they continue Bernini's columns around the square and close off the Via della Conciliazione?

That was the original plan. The pilgrim was to move through the twisting, narrow lanes of late medieval of Rome and BOOM! enter the astoundingly broad, sunlit piazza before mounting the steps of the basilica. Mussolini built the triumphal approach to the square to make nice with the Church. They should've said 'thanks, but no thanks.'

[vladimir998]

The Vatican restrooms are great. They’re the only ones with drinking fountains. I saw no others anywhere else in Europe.

[MarkBsnr]

The Vatican restrooms are great. They’re the only ones with drinking fountains. I saw no others anywhere else in Europe.

Please don't tell me that they are in the stalls...

[jonascord]

"The Vatican restrooms are great. They’re the only ones with drinking fountains. I saw no others anywhere else in Europe."

Or anywhere else in the civilized world. Do suppose there might be a reason for that? Like, because the air is full of atomized feces and urine from flushing? Typhoid! What a gift from El Papa!

Perhaps the Church wants another Plague. The last one worked out fairly well, where everyone was pledging their property to God if he would only spare them. The Church cleaned up with a sudden flood of ownerless real estate...

[Isabel2010]

They’re the only ones with drinking fountains

Trying to find a drinking fountain in Europe is quite hard!
The Vatican is quite a fabulous place~~~drinking fountain's or not!

[Isabel2010]

They’re the only ones with drinking fountains

Trying to find a drinking fountain in Europe is quite hard!
The Vatican is quite a fabulous place~~~drinking fountain's or not!

[Isabel2010]

They’re the only ones with drinking fountains

Trying to find a drinking fountain in Europe is quite hard!
The Vatican is quite a fabulous place~~~drinking fountain's or not!

[political1]

Those aren’t drinking fountains. You sit above them, and clean yourself. Please tell us you didn’t drink out of them.

[ScreamingFist]

Those aren’t drinking fountains. You sit above them, and clean yourself. Please tell us you didn’t drink out of them.

You owe me a keyboard.....

[Shark24]

Showed this post to my fiance and she said we need to go visit!

[MarkBsnr]

"The Vatican restrooms are great. They’re the only ones with drinking fountains. I saw no others anywhere else in Europe."

Or anywhere else in the civilized world. Do suppose there might be a reason for that? Like, because the air is full of atomized feces and urine from flushing? Typhoid! What a gift from El Papa! Perhaps the Church wants another Plague. The last one worked out fairly well, where everyone was pledging their property to God if he would only spare them. The Church cleaned up with a sudden flood of ownerless real estate...

Don't pop anything unimportant.

[Tax-chick]

Fascinating. I remember the museum had water fountains in Amsterdam, but that might have been the only place. It was hard enough for them that I would ask for a cup of water from the sink!

My mom said she’d take me to Rome for her 75th birthday (May of 2013), but now Dad has Alzheimer’s and I’m pregnant again, so it may be PBS-Explorer Channel for both of us.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“Please don’t tell me that they are in the stalls...”

No, silly, that’s where you find the wine bars!

[vladimir998]

Gee, you’re kind of “glass-half-full” guy, huh?