La Chapel Cornaro shines again thanks to an integral restoration carried out by the Special Superintendency of Roma. One of the most fascinating places in the capital, considering the presence ofEcstasy of Saint Teresa of Avila by Bernini. The church in question is that of St. Mary of Victory, within which an in-depth preliminary study was carried out. This had highlighted unpublished episodes in its history.
The "new" colors of the Cornaro Chapel
The importance of the restoration is twofold. If on the one hand the work has returned to shine, on the other hand we have been able to investigate the working method of a genius like the Bernini. The Chapel has undergone a restoration, cleaning and thorough inspection of every surface. This resulted in a veritable explosion of ethereal colors.
Such an important work has found life, especially in the Empyrean area, of the original angels and gilding. Here are the words of Mariella Nuzzo, scientific director of the project: “It was a conservative overhaul of the entire chapel. Everything was determined by the identification of some particular criticalities in parts of the Chapel. We had the opportunity to carry out a complete overhaul. There were problems to be solved, especially related to the Tabernacle, which Bernini builds in addition, breaking the original scheme ”.
Bernini's work
Cornaro Chapel by Bernini is an absolute masterpiece of the Baroque. It is one of the artist's highest creative achievements. The restoration carried out will allow a better understanding of this work and, consequently, its use.
It was so expressed Giuseppe Cape, restorer: “We had to carefully study how to approach the cleaning operation. Everything had to happen gradually because during the hours of the game, by changing the light, there was a different perception of the work ".
Photo source: Ecstasy of Santa Teresa d'Avila - Livioandronico2013 CC BY-SA 4.0
