Overview
- Restorers are deploying hand-held, short-pulse lasers across the exterior frieze to remove pollution, a process the project lead compared to a cosmetic treatment.
- Conservators identified areas of marble beginning to detach, prompting stabilization work and plans for continuous structural monitoring.
- The project carries a €2 million budget drawn from post-pandemic European Union recovery funds.
- An 18-person team is pairing lasers with chemical wraps, sponges and resin, and the plan includes a new night-illumination system for the monument.
- Timelines reported by outlets differ, with Reuters citing a March start and completion early next year, while AP reports an April start and a June finish.