Casella Tomb, 1877

Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, we were able to restore Giovanni Scanzi’s beautiful Casella monument 2018. Work took about three months.

The Casella sculpture prior to restoration.

Heavy layers of black crust were breaking down the surface of the marble.

The Casella sculpture

Carlo Casella’s son commissioned Giovanni Scanzi to sculpt this 1877 memorial. Note the broken horn.

Period photo of the Casella sculpture

Alfredo Noack took this photo shortly after the sculpture was dedicated.

Casella Tomb, 1877

You can see the deterioration of the trumpet- without proper conservation it would have soon broken off

Casella Tomb, 1877

Our restoration of Giovanni Scanzi’s magnificent 1877 memorial to Carlo Casella has begun.

Work begins with analysis

Our art restorers have begun removing the dirt and dust, caked up to an inch thick. They are analyzing the materials; at least four different types of marble were used, in additional to the metal trumpet (which is broken).

The angel's arm.

Every material and every type of dirt and stain requires selection of appropriate cleaning methods. Staglieno Cemetery, Genoa, Italy. As removal of the black crust begins, deeper levels of stain and damage is uncovered.

A rare view of the angel, taken from the restorers scaffolding during our work.

During the delicate and deliberate cleaning process, our restorers work carefully to not damage the marble itself.

The Angel of Resurrection, carved in marble, appears to be floating above the ornate sarcophagus on which is carved the effigy of Carlo Casella. This virtuoso figure recalls the mastery of the human figure that this sculptor, Giovanni Scanzi, portrayed so dynamically in his ‘capolavoro’, the Carpaneto memorial, restored in 2016. This design was later copied in other monuments, including two at Kerepesi Cemetery in Budapest.

Signore Casella (1818-1874) made his fortune in trade with the Indies, and his son dedicated this monument to his memory. However, after 140 years the metal trumpet is bent and crumbling, and the sculpture is covered in a thick layer of black crust, which is starting to break down the delicate surface.

Scanzi, 1840-1915, was a student of the sculptor Santo Varni, and a teacher of many others, including Eugenio Baroni. In his day he was considered to be one of the greatest sculptors in Genoa, but with the change in artistic tastes that came with the advent of modernism, his name faded from art history.

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