October 27 marks a significant day in the Vatican as the the work on the baldacchino covering the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica will end.
The Archpriest of the Basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, announced that Pope Francis will celebrate Mass and officially unveil the newly refurbished baldacchino.
The restoration took around 10 months to complete at a cost of 700,000 euros and was the first of its kind in over 250 year and funded by the Order of the Knights of Columbus.
Pope Francis has seen the progress on the baldacchino and, Cardinal Gambetti, said, he “appreciated it very much.”
The baldacchino was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in the 17th century for Pope Urban VIII. It is an important structure in St. Peter’s Basilica, at 30 metres high and weighing 63 tons, its structure marks the site of Saint Peter’s tomb. The last refurbishment dates back to 1758.
The Fabric of St. Peter described the work as “a challenging and necessary restoration” especially ahead of the 2025 Jubilee Year where an estimated 30 million pilgrims and tourist are expected to visit Rome and the Vatican.