Work has officially begun in Turin on the restoration of the main facade of the Church of the Great Mother of God, one of the landmarks of the Piedmontese capital. The intervention will be entirely sponsored by ONE srl, a Milan-based company active in the field of outdoor advertising and privately financed restorations, and will not involve costs for the city administration.
The project, which has a timeline of about twelve months, aims to restore the building’s original appearance while fully respecting its historical, material and constructive identity. The worksite will involve a total area of 1,072 square meters of stone elements, including the sculptural groups at the base of the staircase, 183 square meters of plaster and 318 square meters of stucco surfaces. In addition to the work on the facade, the restoration will also involve the stone paving near the entrance, the interior wooden compass, and the eaves and downspouts of the prothyrum, along with its roof. The project was developed according to criteria of compatibility and reversibility, fundamental principles to ensure the protection of the original material.
“The restoration of monuments represents one of the virtuous examples of public-private collaboration and is an increasingly used model in Italy for the management and enjoyment of cultural heritage,” comments Deputy Mayor Michela Favaro. “This synergy involving municipalities, sponsors and restoration firms is of great importance to the community, where the interventions that are carried out contribute to safeguarding a historical and artistic asset that is part of our identity and contribute to the decorum and livability of our city.”
“We are proud to restore such a prestigious and iconic asset for the City of Turin,” says Emanuele Anselmi, Director of One Srl. “The coming year will see us as protagonists of several restorations in the main Italian squares pursuing our mission of supporting the maintenance of our Cities.”
The operation makes use of a multidisciplinary technical team that includes both Turin realities and figures with experience in similar contexts at the national level. Strategic coordination and communication for the project are entrusted to Jesurum Leoni Comunicazione. The restoration is signed by architect Paolo Pecorelli, with the contractor ESTIA srl. Design is by DONTSTOP Architecture, part of the Project CMR International group. Leading the group is architect Michele Brunello, managing director of the firm, who will also oversee the artwork, which will involve Studio Fludd and Daniele Catalli for the illustration of the site cesata. The latter will tell the story of the monument, the site and the surrounding neighborhood. Construction Management and Safety are in charge of Turin architect Manuela Ghirardi, with specific experience in the restoration of architectural heritage.
The work will be aimed at preserving and restoring the decorative and architectural apparatus of the facade, with particular attention to respecting the historical and structural characteristics of the building. Stone elements such as columns, capitals, friezes, cornices and sculptures will undergo specific treatment to restore material cohesion and remove deposits and encrustations. The most compromised portions will be reintegrated using compatible mortars or manually processed stone dowels. In the final stage, a color revision is planned to harmonize the restored portions with the original surfaces.
Interventions on stucco and plaster surfaces, such as decorated cornices, vaults, and prothyrum coffers, will follow a conservative approach that aims to protect and restore the visual unity of the decorative ensemble. After gentle cleaning and consolidation of the most fragile parts, localized additions will be made. At the end of the work, a transparent and breathable protective coating will be applied, useful for preserving the surfaces over time. The wooden elements, including the main door and the interior compass, will also undergo restoration. The planned treatment includes removal of deteriorated paint, restoration of structural stability and integration of missing or damaged parts with compatible materials, followed by the final application of protective products suitable for wooden surfaces exposed outdoors or indoors.
Special attention will be paid to the marble sculptural groups located at the base of the entrance staircase. These will be treated with an innovative technique involving the use of so-called nanocalce, a product developed by the University of L’Aquila. This is a mineral capable of penetrating into the microvoids of the marble, consolidating its internal structure, thus ensuring a long-lasting, breathable result that is compatible with the original material. The choice of nanocalce is the result of the application of the latest studies in conservation, adopted to ensure respectful and effective interventions even on particularly delicate surfaces. The project also includes a popularizing function through the creation of an illustrated site cesata. An image narrative will be set up along the perimeter of the work area, documenting the history of the building, the site and the neighborhood.
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| Restoration of the facade of Turin's Gran Madre di Dio begins, Milan-based ONE sponsors |
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