A multimillion-euro restoration of Milan’s iconic bull mosaic has descended into a public relations disaster, with Italian cultural authorities under fire for what British experts call a ‘tacky’ and historically inaccurate makeover. The mosaic, a centrepiece of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, is now at the centre of a bitter transatlantic row.
Sources close to the project confirm that the restoration team, led by a Milan-based firm with opaque financing, ignored standard conservation protocols. Instead of preserving the original 19th-century tesserae, they replaced large sections with garish, machine-cut tiles that bear little resemblance to the subtle earth tones of the original. ‘It looks like something from a fast-food chain,’ one British conservator told me, speaking on condition of anonymity. ‘They have butchered a masterpiece.’
The outrage is not merely aesthetic. Uncovered documents suggest that the restoration was fast-tracked through city hall without proper oversight. The contractor, a company with links to a property developer convicted of tax evasion, was awarded the contract despite submitting a bid double that of its nearest competitor. No public tender was held. ‘The smell of money is overpowering,’ said a former city official who declined to be named.
Italian authorities have dismissed the criticism as ‘elitist snobbery’ from outsiders. The mayor of Milan, in a hastily arranged press conference, defended the work, claiming it ‘breathes new life into a symbol of our city.’ But British experts are not buying it. The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings has issued a statement calling for an immediate halt to the project, describing the new tiles as ‘jarring and historically ignorant.’
Meanwhile, the Italian culture ministry has remained conspicuously silent. My sources indicate that an internal audit has been launched, but no timeline has been given for its completion. Given the relationships between the contractor and local politicians, I would not hold my breath.
The bull mosaic, known locally as ‘il toro,’ has long been a tourist magnet. Visitors traditionally place a heel on the bull’s testicles and spin three times for good luck. The new version has removed that well-worn spot, replacing it with a smooth, polished surface. ‘They have sanitised the soul of the thing,’ lamented a street vendor who has sold trinkets in the Galleria for 30 years. ‘It doesn’t feel like Milan anymore.’
This story is far from over. I have obtained emails showing that the conservation plans were approved by a senior official who later joined the restoration company’s board. If that is not a conflict of interest, I don’t know what is. Expect more revelations in the coming days.
The great irony is that the original mosaic was crafted by artisans who were immigrants to Milan from the Veneto region. Now, the city is erasing their legacy in a fit of corporate-friendly renovation. One wonders what the next target will be. The Duomo? The Last Supper? As it stands, the bull is a monument not to Milan’s history but to its willingness to sell it off to the highest bidder.
