See the Vatican’s Magnificent Marble Statue of the Greek God Apollo Restored to Its Former Glory

The Vatican’s famous Apollo Belvedere—a marble statue of the Greek god of archery, music and dance—is finally back on public display after a five-year restoration.

The seven-foot-tall statue of Apollo was discovered in the ruins of an ancient Roman house in 1489. It has been at the Vatican since the early 1500s, when Pope Julius II decided to bring the sculpture to the holy city. The Vatican Museums unveiled the updated statue on October 15.

In addition to repairing the cracks, experts have also cleaned the statue using laser technology and installed a carbon fiber pole in the figure’s back to help anchor it.

Sabrina Zappia, president of the Italian and International Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, called the artwork “one of the world’s most celebrated and recognizable masterpieces,” per a statement from the organization.

“Of all the works of antiquity that have escaped destruction, the statue of Apollo represents the highest ideal of art,” Johann Winckelmann, the famous 18th-century art historian and archaeologist, once said.

Dating to the second century C.E., the piece depicts Apollo in a draped cloak right after shooting an arrow; his left hand would have originally held a bow. Experts think the artwork is a Roman replica of a lost Greek bronze statue created by the sculptor Leochares around 330 B.C.E. The sculpted figure is celebrated for its natural stance, curled hair and subtle musculature.

Specialists began restoring the Apollo Belvedere in 2019 after staff noticed fractures in the figure’s legs. Guy Devreux, a curator at the Vatican Museums’ stone and marble restoration workshop, tells Reuters’ Joshua McElwee that the statue was in “incredibly dramatic" condition.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns delayed the restoration efforts for about two years.

When the work finally began, it was difficult “not to touch anything on the sculpture,” Devreux tells Agence France-Presse.

He adds, “We found this new system, which is a dynamic structural system based on the use of carbon fiber ... and which, used in the right way, can give extraordinary results.”

This isn’t the first time that the Apollo Belvedere has needed a tune-up. In 1532, artist Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli, one of Michelangelo’s pupils, replaced the statue’s broken arms and added the top of the tree trunk for its new hand to rest on.

Officials hope that the new restorations will keep the beloved sculpture upright and in good condition for many years to come.

“This type of restoration ... is the expression of what we want the Vatican Museums to be,” Barbara Jatta, the museums’ director, tells Reuters. “A balance of tradition, linguistics and study, with a gaze that looks to the future.”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.