VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 1999 (VIS) - Cardinal Virgilio Noe and Sandro Benedetti of the Fabric of St. Peter's and Vittorio Mincato of ENI, the Italian company that donated its personnel and expertise to restoring the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, illustrated the recently completed renovation during a press conference this morning in the Holy See Press Office.
Pope John Paul will bless the facade during a ceremony on September 30.
Cardinal Noe is the president of the Fabric of St. Peter, the Vatican organism responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the basilica, as well as archpriest of the Vatican basilica. In opening remarks, he said that pilgrims arriving in Rome for Holy Year 2000 will "be welcomed with the most beautiful calling card one could receive: the facade returned to its original splendor." St. Peter's facade, he stressed, "has been restored to its original beauty, as the architects who designed it had wished for at the time."
The work of restoration and cleaning was completed on schedule. The facade measures 115 meters in width by 45 in height, and is roughly 7,000 square meters in surface. There are eight columns, each measuring 27.4 meters in height and 2.77 in diameter. The balustrade has 13 statues, each 5.7 meters high.
The cardinal said that "infinite thanks must be expressed to ENI, a generous friend and scientific and technological partner." And stating that "there is the feeling that the material work was sustained by a spiritual foundation, he added: "The splendor of this house becomes a profession of faith and love of God. ... May the sentiments of beauty and serenity of spirit grow in all those who ... will arrive in Rome to render homage at the tomb of St. Peter and to acquire the Jubilee indulgence."
Sandro Benedetti of the Fabric of St. Peter's gave some historical background on the building of both the basilica and Maderno's facade. He noted on several occasions that the "complex" work of renovation, which lasted over two years, "was preservative in nature, not restorative or innovative."
He also highlighted the project's principal stages: 1. the vast photogrammetric survey on a scale of 1:20; 2. the development of historical knowledge, adding to what was already known and in the basilica's archives; 3. an extensive program of obtaining samples of materials and dirt, 4. A system of non-destructive analyses, using thermography and radar readings, to thoroughly document the state of the facade, 5. A study of the most appropriate methods to use in the cleaning, stucco work, inlay work and varnishing of damaged plaster.
Benedetti remarked that the light colors now seen on the facade were part of Maderno's original plan and not, as some have observed, added during the last two years of work.
Vittorio Mincato, managing director of ENI, explained some phases of the St. Peter's restoration project. These involved detailed analysis of the state of the facade and the causes of its degradation, then selection and development of detailed analysis systems and intervention techniques. Control systems typical of large-scale industrial enterprises were used and, finally, the whole project was completely and precisely documented in a data base.
The first work to be carried out, said Mincato, was the "photogrammetric survey of the facade." With this system "we were able to record for the first time the existence of a height difference of 46 centimeters between the two extremities, so that, looking towards the basilica, the right-hand side is slightly higher than the left."
Mincato went on to explain that, "by using the most modern techniques of chemical and physical science, such as X-ray diffraction and electronic microscopy, we obtained a detailed plan of the condition of the surface stone." Various types of degradation deriving from the effects of rainwater were found. "Below the level of degradation, we discovered the presence of color in the stone."
The managing director of ENI affirmed that, in order to clean the 7,000 square meters of St. Peter's facade as well as the statues, a technique was used that employed air, water, and a very fine calcium carbonate powder. After cleaning, the surface was "treated with a biocide" in order to eliminate micro-organisms.
"We gave particular attention to analyzing the micro-climate that exists in the area of St. Peter's, taking into account the effect of atmospheric pollution on the degradation of monuments."
Finally, "thanks to the abundance and classification of the data collected, we have created a data base which includes all information concerning each phase of the project."
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