Milan is repairing the worn-out testicles of a mosaic bull on the floor of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, reports Taimaz Szirniks for the AFP. The casualty of a good-luck ritual that draws thousands of tourists—placing one's right heel on the testicles and spitting three times—the bull was restored by Gianluca Galli, who used modern materials such as epoxy resin in hopes of a more durable finish.
The bull is one of four floor mosaics in the Octagon, the central crossing of the 19th-century arcade that links Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Scala. It represents Turin, Italy's first capital; the others stand for Rome, Florence and Milan. The constant pirouetting of tourists has ground the tiles into a pothole; Galli began filling it in May 25 and was expected to take a few days to complete the job.
Szirniks' report describes him kneeling at the site, hand-cutting replacement stones as onlookers watched.
The restorer cut new pieces of stone by hand after looking at designs from the period and taking an impression of the original bits. He said he would use epoxy resins rather than the original lime and sand mortar to glue them down to better withstand tourists' heels. Unable to pirouette on the bull during the restoration, tourists on Thursday could be seen performing a similar act on a neighbouring she-wolf mosaic representing Rome.
Galli doesn't seem particularly fond of the tradition, notwithstanding the work it provides: "It's probably a charming gesture, but also quite damaging for a work of art," he said.
Councillors Emmanuel Conte and Marco Granelli framed the wear as the price of popularity. You'll find this everywhere in Italy's permissive, hands-on tourist sector (though visitors who go too far can get in serious trouble). The Galleria, built between 1865 and 1877, was among the first true shopping malls and still is, absorbing heavy daily foot traffic. Galli said Italy needs more restorers.
The mosaic was last restored in 2017, and before then in 2007, so the latest rebollocking of the bullock is a year ahead of schedule. As long as visitors keep turning on their heels for luck, the balls will keep turning into bills.
