Brera: Restoration of the monuments to Parini and Beccaria Begins with the Botticino School

At the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, a project to restore and enhance the monuments dedicated to Giuseppe Parini and Cesare Beccaria, located on the Grand Staircase of Palazzo Brera, is getting underway. The project, supported by the Barbara Berlusconi Foundation, will be carried out by students from the Botticino School of Restoration and is part of a broader conservation and training program involving museums, educational institutions, and cultural heritage oversight authorities.

The two works undergoing restoration are of great historical and artistic significance from the 19th century. The monument to Giuseppe Parini, created in 1838 by the neoclassical sculptor Gaetano Matteo Monti, and the monument dedicated to Cesare Beccaria, created by Pompeo Marchesi in 1837, are located in one of the most symbolically significant spaces of Palazzo Brera, a central hub of Milanese and Italian culture. The conservation project was conceived by the Department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts of the Pinacoteca di Brera and will be carried out under the supervision of the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Milan.

The initiative is designed as an initiative that combines heritage preservation, scientific research, and specialized training. Students from the Botticino School of Restoration will be directly involved in the operations, working on works of public significance and grappling with the complex conservation challenges posed by historical materials and surfaces exposed to time and the environment. The project represents a particularly valuable educational opportunity, allowing students to gain hands-on experience within a leading institutional setting.

The project includes an initial phase dedicated to preliminary and diagnostic surveys, necessary to precisely determine the state of conservation of the works. Subsequently, selective and controlled cleaning will be carried out, aimed at removing surface deposits and altered patinas that have accumulated over time on the sculptural surfaces. Operations will also be carried out to consolidate any material fragility and to review the stucco work, in accordance with the principles of minimal intervention and planned conservation.

All operations will be coordinated with the conservators and experts of the Pinacoteca di Brera and will be carried out under the guidance of the Milan Superintendency. The operational methodologies will be defined based on the results of preliminary investigations and chemical-physical analyses, with the aim of ensuring an intervention that respects the original characteristics of the works and their historical and material integrity.

Alongside the strictly conservation-oriented work, the project includes a comprehensive program of promotion and public outreach. Guided tours of the restoration sites are planned, allowing visitors to observe the stages of the work up close and understand the techniques employed. A short film dedicated to the project is also planned, along with the publication of scientific and educational materials documenting the various phases of the intervention.

The support from the Barbara Berlusconi Foundation is part of an ongoing collaboration with the Pinacoteca di Brera through the Art Bonus initiative and the “Pact for Brera.” This new initiative further strengthens this synergy, expanding the scope of the project to include the development of new professional skills and the direct involvement of local restoration schools.

In presenting the project, the general director of Grande Brera, Angelo Crespi, emphasized the value of collaboration between cultural institutions and educational institutions, highlighting how the initiative fosters a dialogue between heritage preservation and the development of new generations of conservators. The involvement of the Botticino School of Restoration is seen as an opportunity to strengthen the link between research, practice, and the transmission of skills.

The Barbara Berlusconi Foundation also reiterated the cultural and civic significance of the project. “I believe that culture should not only be promoted but also preserved,” stated Barbara Berlusconi. “Contributing to the restoration of the works that welcome visitors to the Pinacoteca di Brera means actively participating in the preservation of a heritage that belongs to everyone. This project promotes the preservation of memory and contributes to the development of new skills, involving young students from the restoration program in a project of great civic and cultural value. It is an initiative that looks to the past with respect, but also to the future with responsibility. For the Barbara Berlusconi Foundation, it is an honor to collaborate with the Pinacoteca di Brera in enhancing a place that symbolizes Italian culture.”

From an educational perspective, the president of Valore Italia, Martino Troncatti, emphasized the importance of the educational workshop as a hands-on experience for students. “An educational workshop like this, made possible thanks to the support of the Barbara Berlusconi Foundation, represents a valuable opportunity for our students to grow both professionally and personally,” he said. “Working directly on works of significant historical and artistic value allows them to grapple with the concrete challenges and complexities that characterize restoration. Engaging in a real-world operational context means immediately immersing themselves in the day-to-day reality of their future profession, gaining a highly valuable and qualifying educational experience.”

Brera: Restoration of the monuments to Parini and Beccaria Begins with the Botticino School

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.