EU recovery funds fuel frenetic restorations around Rome, including famous basilica

Rome — Some of the lesser-known treasures are finally being restored at San Pietro in Rome’s Vincoli Basilica, famous for Michelangelo’s colossal marble statue of Moses.

Thanks to an infusion of European Union pandemic recovery funds, a frenzied series of restorations are popping up at religious, historical and cultural sites around the Eternal City.

On Monday, restorer Melanie Khantajan climbed a series of ladders with her toolbox to her perch on scaffolding near the basilica ceiling, 20 meters (65 feet) off the ground. Using a scalpel, she painstakingly scraped away layers of plaster over the serpentine decorations around the coat of arms on the vaulted ceiling, known as the “deskialbo”.

“Each removal of a layer surprises us because it allows us to understand what it looks like, what emerges,” he explained. “So for us it’s amazing, it’s a discovery every day.”

The basilica’s ceilings, altar, tombs, marble columns and decorations are being cleaned and restored with a 2-million-euro ($2.3 million) EU restoration grant that has kept Khantajan and 10 other restorers busy.

The city of Rome announced 500 million euros ($579 million) in European funding for “caput mundi” projects that were used in more than 100 cultural renovations in the city. “Caput Mundi” is a term used by the ancient Romans to mean “head of the world”. According to the agreement with the EU, the money must be used before the end of 2026.

The basilica is located just a few steps from the Colosseum in Rome and derives its name “vincoli” from the Latin “vincula” for chains. The glass case in the center of the altar contains ancient chains that, according to tradition, were used to hold St. Peter in Jerusalem. According to tradition, he was later miraculously fused with the chains used when Peter was imprisoned in the Mamertine prison in Rome.

The basilica was built in the 5th century under the Eastern Roman Empire, and then the church was partially rebuilt in the 16th century by Pope Julius II, who added the coat of arms of the noble family della Rovere to the ceiling, arches and chapels in the center of the oak tree. The coat of arms and other decorations are the focus of the restoration.

The main attraction of the basilica is the sculpture of Moses, made by Michelangelo in 1513 to decorate the funeral monument of Julius. Moses is not part of the restoration but gets dusted when the work is done.

“The works started about eight months ago and will end by May 2026,” said Ilaria Sgarboza, scientific director of the restoration project. “Let’s just say it’s a very fast pace.”