Ars Artem Salvat

The Festival, like all activities of the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra, is aimed at sensitizing the public to its institutional aims: to safeguard, preserve, promote and develop the cultural patrimony present in Italy and to raise funds for restoration projects.

With the help of its supporters and sponsors, since its foundation in 2002 the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra has been able to support a series of 13 increasingly important restoration projects (further details can be found on the page “The Foundation”). Those who contribute to the foundation in 2011 (and thus participate in the tenth anniversary Festival edition), support three restoration projects of the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra and the Fabric of St Peter’s, regarding the Mausoleum PHI, called “of the Marci”, in the Vatican Necropolis, the southern facade of St Peter’s Basilica and the “Fontana della Burbera”, an artistic fountain on St Peter’s.

The foundation has also defined the restoration project which will be undertaken after these complex and long lasting projects. It will regard the organ of the Jesuit church San Francesco Saverio (Francisco de Xavier) in Rome, near the Pantheon, better known as “Oratorio del Caravita”.

Restoration of the Mausoleum PHI called “of the Marci” in the Vatican Necropolis

After supporting in the past years the complete restoration of the Mausoleum “of the Valeri” in the Vatican Necropolis under St Peter's, where most probably the tomb of the Apostle Peter lies, in 2010-2011 the Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacra with its sponsors and patrons has supported the Fabric of St Peter’s in the restoration of the Mausoleum PHI, which has been concluded in June 2011.

This mausoleum of the Marci family has been built around the end of the second century, like the entire Vatican Necropolis, in open air on a slope near the Circus of Nero and has later, under Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, been covered with earth in order to build the first Vatican Basilica above it. It has been rediscovered only more than 1300 years later during excavations under St Peter’s in the years 1939 – 1958 and is one of the most important and prestigious sepulchral buildings in the Vatican Necropolis. The marvelous frescos on vermilion base show mythological figures and scenes, peacocks, flower festoons, songbirds, the head of Medusa, ducks, Nereids (sea nymphs), sea monsters and satyrs. /p>

Restoration of the southern facade of the Vatican Basilica

The front facade of St. Peter's, a well-known aspect all over the world, has been restored in occasion of the Holy Year 2000. Since then the Fabric of St. Peter's has promoted restoration of the southern facade of the Vatican Basilica with a surface of almost 11.500 square meters, more than twice the main facade. The restoration is urgent because breaks and water infiltrations cause the risk of elements breaking down or of damages in the Basilica's interior.

The third lot of the restoration works, on which the Foundation's efforts are focused, regards the part of the Basilica which has been planned in the form of a Greek cross by Michelangelo in the 16th century. This third part (the first and second lot regarded the part that has been added by Maderno in the 17th century) is the most interesting part also due to the fact that it contains an entrance into the Basilica called "Porta della Preghiera", through which the Pope, Heads of States and the Diplomatic Corps enter the Basilica for celebrations.

Restoration of the “Fontana della Burbera” on St Peter’s Basilica

The fountain Fontana della Burbera lies approximately 40 meters high on the northern terrace of St Peter’s and has been built at the end of the 18th / beginning of the 19th century beneath Michelangelo’s impressive dome and right in front of the Sistine Chapel. It has its name from a hoist that was called burbera (literally “grumpy”) and which was used until the end of the past century to bring water on the terraces of St Peter’s. The fountain leans on an octagonal small tower covered by a dome and consists of an antique Roman marble sarcophagus, a marble sculpture in high relief with a dolphin, bush and rocks crossed by a salamander with the dolphin acting as waterspout, and a plumb-lined bowl which also sends water down in the sarcophagus-basin. Above the fountain we find the marble coat of arms of Cardinal Pier Francesco Galeffi (1770-1837), archpriest of St Peter’s from 1820 to 1837.

The fountain is an important part of St Peter’s history as for more than two centuries it has served refreshment to all those who came on the terrace. From here they could enjoy a wonderful panorama before they started the strenuous and exhausting climb to the top of the dome.