A correct iconography has been released to the famous statue of Apollo Belvedere exhibited in the Octagonal Courtyard of the Vatican Museums.

This choice, awaited for many years by the scientific community, was made possible thanks to one of the most precious ancient casts in the history of archaeological finds. It is the so-called Hand of Baia, one of the numerous plaster fragments belonging to casts of complete statues taken directly from greek bronzes. The discovery occurred in 1954 in a room of the Terme della Sosandra at the archaeological site of Baia. Among the many fragments, many details of different ancient statues were recognized. From the study that continued over the years, it was ascertained that the plaster fragments came from the workshop of a copyist who had a considerable collection of plaster casts (composed of casts of bronze originals) from which he sculpted marble copies for rich clients.

On the occasion of the recent restoration of the Apollo (ended in October 2024), which included an innovative static arrangement (Andrea Felice) and an extraordinary aesthetic restoring (Valentina Felici), it was finally decided to give back its ancient hand to the statue.

The beautiful roman copy from the original bronze by Leochares was found in the heart of the capital near the Esquiline Hill at the end of the 15th century, intact but without the left hand sculpted separately. Shortly after it was acquired by the papal collections, the sculptor Michelangelo Montorsoli was entrusted with the task of sculpting a new hand for the Apollo.

However, in modern times Montorsoli’s hand was the subject of discussion so much so that it was removed on several occasions and replaced according to different philological choices.

During the current restoration, Claudia Valeri, curator of the Greek and Roman collection, together with the restorer Andrea Felice, hypothesized the replacement of Montorsoli’s hand with the Cast of Baia. After meticulous studies and above all surprised by the aesthetic and compositional improvements, what was initially only a hypothesis turned out to be a viable path to the end. Further investigations and detailed evaluations led the entire Museum Management and all the professionals involved in the restoration to make this choice.

The new cast hand was thus mounted permanently (but reversibly) on the statue. The correct position was assessed with extreme expertise, mainly relying on the visual harmony and naturalness of the movement. Numerous simulations and measurements were also carried out using 3D models by the Scientific Research Laboratory directed by Fabio Morresi.

The cast was made in acrylic resin by Andrea Felice (restorer and master mold maker) with a traditional technique. Felice is also the author of the missing forearm portion that he himself first modeled in clay and then translated into resin through a molding operation.

The integration, composed of the Baia cast and the new forearm, was made recognizable, adhering to the modern ethics of integrative restoration.

The acrylic resin cast was mounted on the original marble with a fiber pin using the pre-existing holes and then pigmented with neutral tones for a correct integration.

The extraordinary philological choice has found full success in the surprising aesthetic and compositional yield. The scientific community, which had been debating the topict for decades, has unanimously approved the restored identity of the Apollo of Belvedere.

The work was possible thanks to a careful scientific and methodological approach as well as very specific technical skills.

The Cast of Baia itself, a rare survivor of the only missing part of the marble original, has finally found the most appropriate and noble location.

The ancient plaster cast of Baia is preserved at the Archaeological Museum of the Phlegraean Fields at the Aragonese Castle.

Further information:

-Landwehr, Die antiken Gypsabgussen aus Baiae. Griechische Bronzstatuen in Abguessen roemischer Zeit, Berlin 1985

-Gasparri, The Baia cast workshop, in RM 102, 1995

-Official Restoration Video, 2024 https://youtu.be/cy9lAS3C6wc?si=5AmJ9TPx4ggJr-2V