A 15th-century statue that once stood outside Milan's iconic Duomo has found a new home under the cathedral's 'Adopt a Statue' programme. The Bearded Saint with Book was recently restored and is now on display at Piazzale Cadorna, behind a glass window at the headquarters of FNM, a Lombardy-based transport company.
The programme, launched in 2020 by the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, recruits donors to fund restoration of statues in exchange for loan agreements that allow temporary display elsewhere. 'The uniqueness of this project is that statues that would otherwise remain in our deposits are restored and brought back to their original beauty,' said project manager Elisa Mantia.
The Duomo's construction began in 1386 and took over five centuries to complete, resulting in statues carved by artists from different regions and periods. The Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo has preselected around 30 sculptures eligible for restoration, each authorised by Italy's cultural heritage authorities. Restoration typically takes one to three months.
Other adopted sculptures include a 16th-century David, a depiction of Samson and the Lion, and a statue of Saint Matthew the Apostle. The marble used for the statues comes from the Candoglia quarries in Piedmont, the same source used since the late 14th century.
