Archangel Gabriel on Heroes’ Square to Be Lifted Off for the First Time in 120 Years

Archangel Gabriel on Heroes’ Square to Be Lifted Off for the First Time in 120 Years

2024/07/30 Good to know

The statue of Archangel Gabriel on top of the Corinthian column of the Millennium Monument on Heroes’ Square will be lifted off and fully restored for the first time in 120 years. The condition of the nearly five-metre-high bronze statue has drastically detoriated over the decades, and since only aesthetic intervention had been carried out in previous renovation projects, its renovation has become imperative. In the first and most spectacular phase of the project, implemented by the Városliget Zrt. asset management company, a huge scaffolding system will be constructed around the 36-meter-high column to facilitate the lift-off. After being transported to a conservation workshop, it will be restored to its original condition within 6-12 months, depending on the assessment of its internal condition. The restoration, commissioned by the National Heritage Institute, will be carried out by the winner of a public procurement announced based on the assessment after the lift-off. The restored statue of Archangel Gabriel is planned to be returned to Heroes’ Square in the first half of 2025. During the restoration works, the bronze statue of Archangel Gabriel and the capital of its supporting column will be reinforced.

The huge Millennium Monument on Heroes’ Square and Archangel Gabriel standing on a 36-meter Corinthian column at its centre are among Hungary’s emblematic symbols and a permanent attraction for both domestic and foreign tourists. The archangel, sculpted by György Zala, was inaugurated on 24 October 1901. Sadly, however, the 4.8-metre-high bronze statue has drastically deteriorated in recent decades, and thus its complete restoration has become essential.

Phase I of the renovation project took place between 1995 and 1996 during the millecentenary of the Hungarian conquest. The aim was to reconstruct the Seven Chieftains group and the statue of Archangel Gabriel; however, a lack of time and resources meant that the latter could only be restored in situ, with its structure left intact and only surface repairs carried out. Then, Phase II did not include the statue of Archangel Gabriel. When the archangel statue was cleaned and repatinated in 2021, prior to the International Eucharistic Congress, it was realised that damage to the piece was more extensive than anticipated and necessitated new and much more comprehensive restoration to be carried out. The fastenings of the main bronze figure and the bronze ornaments of the Corinthian capital below it are in critical condition, and so their removal and comprehensive restoration in a workshop are imperative. In December 2023, a detailed assessment of the statue’s condition was made, based on which an extensive plan was drawn up to restore it to its original state.

Work, coordinated by Városliget Zrt., is expected to start on 15 July 2024. Scaffolding will be assembled around the column, after which the artwork will be documented with metrological accuracy by 3D scanning. This allows experts to make the most detailed and advanced assessment of the condition of the statue upon receipt. This documentation is essential to be able to control and monitor changes to the statue. After the assessment, the sculptural composition will be dismantled and lifted off by a special, heavy-duty crane truck: the figure of Archangel Gabriel together with the upper half of the sphere as well as the Holy Crown and the double cross in the figure’s hands will be removed while still in situ. After that, the Corinthian base will be lifted off. The parts will be transported to the assessment location by a special trailer-truck by road.

Interesting facts about the sculptural composition:

  • The concrete core of the bronze sphere is minimum 0.5–1 tonne to counterbalance the wind pressure impacting the archangel’s wings.
  • The statue is composed of bronze casts, each with a thickness of 3-6 mm, and is stabilised inside with a steel structure, which is necessary because of the wind pressure and the size of the wings.
  • During the renovation project, the protection of the sculpturally valuable parts – the inscription “ZALA GYÖRGY 1897” and the intactness of the entire figural part – is a key priority.
  • The column’s Corinthian capital is composed of about one hundred separate elements (an exact number is difficult to determine because of the corrosion products covering the precise joints). The elements of the capital are the same for each direction of the compass, and they are mirror symmetrical; therefore, during the dismantling process, each piece will be given an individual identification number, based on which a consignment map will be made. Before lifting the statue off, a marking will be incised into each element in a visible place, so that similar pieces will not be confused.

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