Museo Nazionale del Bargello

Opening such a delicate and complex restoration to the public means sharing not only the final result, but also the learning process that accompanies every conservation project,” explains Andreina Contessa, Director General of the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence and the Bargello Museums – “The live restoration site for the base of the Perseus allows visitors to observe the restorers’ work up close and to appreciate technical, execution, and material details that are often invisible to the untrained eye. It is a valuable opportunity to bring the public closer to a deep understanding of the work and its conservation history.”

Created between 1549 and 1553 on commission from Cosimo I de’ Medici to accompany the famous bronze sculpture destined for the Loggia dei Lanzi, the marble base—preserved in the Michelangelo and 16th-Century Sculpture Hall of the Bargello National Museum—is a refined masterpiece of sculptural carving, conceived as a richly decorated altar imbued with symbolic meaning. At the four corners are protomes of a billy goat, alluding to the zodiac sign of Capricorn associated with the duke, while an elaborate decorative system of torches and masks alludes to the triumph of truth over deceit. Further down, the female herms, representing the figure of Diana Epheia, evoke nature and prosperity, while the niches house four bronze statuettes depicting Jupiter, Minerva, Mercury, and Danae with the infant Perseus.

The conservation history of the Perseus pedestal is rich and well-documented. Among the many events in its history, we recall the period of bombing during World War II, when the Perseus and its base were moved to a room beneath the Loggia dei Lanzi to ensure their safety. In 1945, Bruno Bearzi, a visionary restorer and leading figure in the preservation of bronze sculpture, was tasked with returning all the works of art to their original locations once the dangers of the war had passed. On that occasion, Bearzi intervened to reinforce the sculpture’s anchoring to its base and replace the iron sword with a bronze replica that we still see today in Perseus’s hand. In 1980, the original iron sword was transferred to the Bargello National Museum, where the bronze relief depicting Perseus freeing Andromeda and the four small bronze figures from the marble base had already been moved, again to counteract the relentless process of deterioration. Deemed unsuitable for relocation to the Loggia dei Lanzi, the marble base was permanently housed at the Bargello Museum in 2000 and reunited there with the four bronze sculptures.

Visit information

• May, 12 – September, 5, 2026
• Admission included in the museum ticket