The famed Baldachin of St Peter's, the
magnificent Baroque masterpiece by Gian Lorenzo Bernini that
rises above the high altar in the Roman Basilica, has been
restored and the wraps will come off on October 27, the
cathedral's Cardinal Archpriest Mauro Gambetti announced
Tuesday.
The restoration has restored the contrasts between the dark base
and the gold that is shining in all its past gory, Gambetti told
the Vatican press corps.
"It is a memorable, extraordinary restoration work," he said,
explaining that the date of October 27, chosen for the official
inauguration, is "highly symbolic."
It is in fact the World Day of Prayer for Peace that Saint John
Paul II launched in Assisi in 1986, and it is also the Sunday on
which the closing mass of the Synod will be celebrated this
year.
"Pope Francis came to see how the work was progressing and he
appreciated it very much", said Gambetti, underlining that the
restored Baldachin "demonstrates the beauty that the Church
should reflect".
A work, together with the restoration of the ancient Chair
(which will be exhibited from 27 October to 8 December in the
same basilica) and the glass that protects Michelangelo's Pietà,
"that leads us towards the Jubilee of hope (next year).
"And we need hope in this world".
The Baldachin is at the center of the basilica's central
crossing, and directly under the dome of the basilica, and was
intended to mark the location of Saint Peter's tomb in the
vaults underneath.
Commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, Bernini's work began in 1623
and ended in 1634.
It is by far the most imposing structure in St Peter's.
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