In 2003, WMF began the process of studying, cleaning, and restoring the Bartolomeo Colleoni monument, which had suffered from years of neglect, and damage from the local climate. In particular, WMF sought to treat the unmitigated negative effects of salty air and pollution, whose impact had not been addressed since the last major conservation work on the statue in 1919. (...)
In 2003, WMF began the process of studying, cleaning, and restoring the Bartolomeo Colleoni monument, which had suffered from years of neglect, and damage from the local climate. In particular, WMF sought to treat the unmitigated negative effects of salty air and pollution, whose impact had not been addressed since the last major conservation work on the statue in 1919. WMF constructed a temporary, on-site conservation studio within which to disassemble, analyze, and treat the horse and rider. Conservators treated severely rusted armature, replaced unsalvageable structural members, secured the statue to its stone base, and implanted a monitoring device within the statue to track future changes to the monument’s condition.
