Restoration Begins on Neptune Statue

A year’s restoration project of Piazza Signoria’s Neptune statue — scheduled to last an entire year — began on February 20, 2017.  The public will be able to follow all the phases of the delicate work on the marble sculpture, also known as the “Biancone,” was completed in 1565 by Bartolomeo Ammannati, who gave the face of ruler Cosmio I de’ Medici to representation of the mythical Roman sea god.

The public will be able to follow all the phases of work live thanks to the installation of a webcam.  The restoration was made possible by an €1.5 million donation by Ferragamo fashion house, tax-deductible thanks to the recent “Art Bonus” law.

To read more in Italian, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.