Orvieto Cathedral to undergo €1M+ restoration funded by Italian ministry

The Opera della Cattedrale di Orvieto has announced two major restoration projects for the Duomo di Orvieto, funded by ministerial funds totaling over one million euros. The first intervention, budgeted at approximately 527,000 euros, aims to reduce structural vulnerability and is currently in the tender phase. The second, worth 540,000 euros, involves seismic risk prevention and restoration of parts of the facade, with design activities already underway. The decision followed a five-year monitoring study conducted by ENEA, completed in April 2018. The works will improve the seismic behavior of the towers and spires by consolidating masonry, helical staircases, and spire cones with steel elements to create effective connections between internal and external walls. Additionally, invasive plants, lichens, and fungi will be removed from the entire external surface. The cathedral, dating back to 1290, houses masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, including frescoes by Luca Signorelli in the Cappella di San Brizio. To mark the 500th anniversary of Signorelli's death, the cathedral has organized a series of events: on October 12, 2023, a conference titled "La Bibbia 'grande codice' dell'arte occidentale" will be led by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, and on November 10, another event will be directed by Bishop Gualtiero Sigismondi.