by Matteo Castagnoli
In the case of the equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II in Piazza Duomo, defaced by the same group of activists in March, it took 28,950 euros to clean it
It all depended on the type of paint. And by everything we mean methods, times and above all costs of cleaning up the Arch of Peace, defaced on Wednesday by the “Last Generation” activists. And the fears of the first hours are confirmed in the inspection of the technicians the following day: a “careful restoration intervention” will be necessary to restore the Napoleonic monument inaugurated in 1838.
Therefore, contrary to the first, hopeful response, which came directly from the mayor of Milan Beppe Sala who spoke of “paint that can be easily erased, we will work on it quickly”, the process is taking longer. And a work plan similar to what has already been seen in the case of the equestrian statue of Vittorio Emanuele II in Piazza Duomo, defaced by the same group of activists in March, is envisaged.
In that case, in fact, the paint – unlike what was claimed by the authors of the gesture – had actually turned out to be non-washable. Then a team of restorers took over with a specific tender. In total, it took 28,950 euros, donated by the restoration company Vox Media srl. Even for the Arco della Pace the hopes of the first hours were wrecked. In fact, that paint cannot be washed with water or other simple solvents. Following a more in-depth analysis and the inspection which took place on Thursday afternoon by the offices of the superintendence and the technicians of the Municipality, the need for a restoration to remove the paint from the surfaces of the monument was found. It will therefore not be possible, as it seemed from initial findings, to proceed with a simple hydrocleaning operation. The Milan Superintendency will manage the operations at the Arco della Pace.
«I disapprove of this type of initiative on the part of the kids – Sala continued on the sidelines of Piero della Francesca’s exhibition -. I understand their motivations, but I disapprove.” The timing and costs of an operation that is not born with the best conditions remain to be clarified.
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November 16, 2023 (modified November 16, 2023 | 4:32 pm)
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2023-11-16 15:32:39
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