A chapel in a Rome church that is home to a Baroque sculptural masterpiece by Gian Lorenzo Bernini has been made even more dazzling after its restoration.
Art and restoration specialists presented the result in the Cornaro Chapel in St Mary of the Victory Church on Thursday.
The chapel’s centrepiece is one of Bernini’s most celebrated sculptures, depicting the mystical experience of St Teresa of Avila.
The marble statue is a theatrical centrepiece illuminated by rays of sunlight streaming through an opening.
During the restoration of the 17th-century work, specialists removed incrustations on the glass that filters the light, rendering the scene even more dramatic.
Afternoon shafts of sun that pierce a small dome in the chapel accentuate the effect of Bernini’s sculptured golden rays.
The restoration included cleaning all surfaces and reviving colours in frescoes near the ceiling, thanks in part to the removal of traces of black soot from a fire in 1833 in the church.
