Monumental portal of Rome's zoological garden restored

At the conclusion of the conservative restoration work supervised and financed by the Capitoline Department of Environmental Protection, under the supervision of the Special Superintendence of Rome and the Capitoline Superintendent’s Office, the monumental portal of the Zoological Garden of Rome was unveiled yesterday. Originally opened in January 1911, the monumental entrance was restored and partly reconstructed. The portal in fact showed elements of severe deterioration due to weathering and the corrosive action of dust accumulation. The conservative restoration involved the entire monumental complex and involved particularly complex interventions, such as the faithful reconstruction of missing parts of some statues, for example in the case of the crocodile hunter or the eagle hunter. The statues of the lion, the lioness, and the two elephant heads were also fully restored.

The intervention lasted eight months. An environmentally friendly restoration was carried out, as biocides based on essential oils, distillation products of aromatic plants, non-toxic to the operators and the environment, were used to eliminate moss and mold.

“We wanted to finance and take care of this restoration in order to return to the city in all its beauty the portal of the Bioparco, the oldest zoological garden in Italy, visited every year by hundreds of thousands of Romans and tourists,” said Roma Capitale’s Councillor for Agriculture, Environment and Waste Cycle Sabrina Alfonsi. “An institution that carries out an important conservation and scientific research activity, in collaboration with a vast network of Italian and international research institutions. A scientific activity of the highest level that has brought Bioparco to the center of the international news with events of exceptional importance such as the birth of Kala, the Sumatran tiger cub, a species threatened by extinction. This is complemented by valuable educational and awareness-raising work on issues of biodiversity, respect for animals and environmental protection, on which we have built a relationship of constant collaboration. A relationship that we intend to strengthen with relevant initiatives and projects such as the creation of the ’Biodiversity Trail,’ a project that aims to upgrade the vegetation and environmental heritage of an area of about two hectares inside the Biopark where we plan to create a tropical forest with plants and animal species typical of this habitat.”

Historical-architectural background

The monumental entrance to the Zoological Garden was built starting in 1909 to a design by Armando Brasini (1879-1965), one of the best-known Italian architects and urban planners of the early 20th century, and Giulio Barluzzi (1878-1953) an architect and engineer. It was later inaugurated, together with the entire Zoo complex, on January 5, 1911, as part of the initiatives of the International Exhibition for the fiftieth anniversary of the Unification of Italy.

Ancient, Renaissance and Baroque blend in the portal. There are two symmetrical pavilions composed of a strong and articulated volumetry that is contrasted, with a refined contrast, by the lightness of the elegant gate inspired by seventeenth-century decorative motifs. The vertical momentum of the pavilions is complemented by the sculptural groups composed of men fighting with animals designed to enhance, beyond the balustrade, the verticality of the twin columns. Two elephant heads carved into the keys of the arches leading to the two vestibules lend an exotic and fantastic character to the complex, in keeping with the climate of the time. Making the human and animal statues that stand on the colonnade was Calabrian sculptor Vincenzo Romeo (1878-1942).

Photo by Massimiliano Di Giovanni - Biopark Archives

Monumental portal of Rome's zoological garden restored

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