(ORDO NEWS) — One of the most famous statues of the Virgin Mary in the world is located in Florence. Previously, it was believed that Mary with the Son of God in her arms and angels were carved from white marble.
During the work, restorers discovered that this was not the case. It turned out that it is colored! Craftsmen revealed such a secret.
The statue is located in Italy, in Florence in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. While carrying out its restoration , experts found traces of paint on the marble.
It is surprising, because for a long time it was believed that these statues were carved from snow-white stone and have always been so.
Turquoise, brown and red paints were found on the sculptures. The irises of the woman’s eyes were painted in brown, her cloak in turquoise, and the pattern on the fabric and on the clothes of the baby Jesus in red.
No one would have guessed that these statues were colored. Previously, it was believed that they were made white in the color of the cathedral.
Now experts suggest that the other statues here were previously painted in colors and as similar as possible to real living people.
Work on the restoration of the statues began in September 2021.
Heavy rains in Florence caused severe damage to the building. It is also necessary to periodically clean everything from dirt, dust and pigeon droppings.
The sculptural group that adorns the entrance to the Cathedral has always been its highlight. Virgin Mary holding a baby in her arms, and angels looking at them – it looks fantastic.
Millions of tourists take pictures of these statues every year. This place is considered a symbol of Florence.
Perhaps this restoration will be a kind of rethinking, and the local authorities will want to restore the color painting.
There is no answer to this question yet. It is only known that 1.5 million euros were spent on restoration.
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