Giovanni Bonazza Saint Anthony with the Child Jesus – 1708

Basilica of Saint Anthony, entrance portal to the vestibule of the Sacristy Restoration supported by a donation Restoration by Monica Vial October 2018

The portal of the sacristy of the Basilica was opened in the mid-1700s and is rich in precious marbles and Istrian stone, surmounted by a wonderful statue in Carrara marble representing Saint Anthony with the Child Jesus by the sculptor Giovanni Bonazza, dated 1708 and coming by another location. Before restoration, the entire surface of the monument was covered by layers of dirt and dust over waxes and oxidized paints resulting from previous interventions.

To the initial cleaning phase carried out either manually with brushes or using suction and compresses, followed the plastering and sealing of all cracks, gaps and micro-cracks. Small watercolour touches have been performed in small old stucco works still well anchored but changed in time from the original shade; finally, a protection based on microcrystalline wax was applied to the statue, the base, and the marble inserts of the arch.