Italian marble sculpture- Staglieno Cemetery, Genoa, Italy

Gargoyle

Official Cafe Stone Carver
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
744
Location
Chicagoland
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Here's an interesting one. The widow, Virginia Aprile, is lifting the sheets for a last look at her deceased husband, Raffaele Pienovi. The carvers got their chisels under the sheets to carve his face; and the texture of her satin dress (obscured by the layers of dirt) is amazing. However, the ceiling is leaking, the walls are crumbling, so it is at risk.

Virginia was his second wife; he was 91 when he died, she was about 60 years younger than him.
 

dlilazteca

~ Elite 1000 Member ~
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Wow! Thanks for taking the time to share, wish it was better cared for.

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Gargoyle

Official Cafe Stone Carver
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
744
Location
Chicagoland

Gargoyle

Official Cafe Stone Carver
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
744
Location
Chicagoland
An update- it's been a good year. We've completed 6 restorations in 2017, with two more nearing completion. Another is scheduled to begin in January, but we've selected more masterpieces that we hope to save. It all depends on raising donations, so I hope you'll join in at donate.staglieno.com

Here's one that needs preservation, the 1871 Filippo D'Albertis memorial, by a great sculptor, Giuseppe Benetti (1825-1914). As engravers, try to imagine what it took to carve that hair in three dimensions in a large block of white marble. And this is white marble, but after nearly 150 years, the pollution, dirt and bird droppings have bonded to the surface of the stone forming a brittle black crust. That crust starts to flake off, peeling off the surface of the stone, and it also retains moisture and humidity, causing further damage. Look closely and you'll see that her big toe has crumbled away.

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And be sure to "like" our page on Facebook, and follow our Instagram feed. I'm adding photos every day.


https://www.facebook.com/StaglienoSculpture/

https://www.instagram.com/staglieno_sculpture/
 
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Gargoyle

Official Cafe Stone Carver
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
744
Location
Chicagoland
Just an update, a reminder for those of you who've seen out posts on FB and Instagram and our website, and and invite to those who haven't caught them yet.

These are two of the sculpture restorations we've been able to sponsor at Genoa, Italy's monumental Staglieno Cemetery. It holds thousands of sculptures, but they've been badly neglected... we're trying to ensure they will still be around to inspire long into the future.

https://www.facebook.com/StaglienoSculpture/

https://www.instagram.com/staglieno_sculpture/


https://www.staglieno.com
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