A corner of the historic center that risked dying, which has found a clear identity that is pleasing. Corso Cavour and Piazzetta Sant’Alessandrofor whom depopulation was feared after the move of the court, are experiencing a renewed and stimulating liveliness thanks to Mo.Ca and a series of fancy shops offering crafts and special goods, to the bars, to the new Moretto cinema, which has once again attracted passionate film lovers and transformed itself into a fashionable place, and to the jazz concerts which have found space right in the small square on the which overlooks the church of Sant’Alessandro, renovated in recent years.
And now, to complete the frame, there is one more element: the eighteenth-century fountain in the small square which has returned to its original beauty after a meticulous and prolonged cleaning operation from a heavy gray patina, the result of organic deposits, pollution, limescale from the last maintenance intervention in 2010.
The intervention
In addition to the harmony of the work, created by the architect Giovanni Donegani in 1787 commissioned by the counts Venceslao and Gherardo Martinengo Colleoni, part of the monument’s history also resurfaced from the cleaning requested by the Municipality: A quarter of the upper shell pool, facing south, was discovered to have been rebuilt after damage caused by bombing in World War II. It was also possible to ascertain that a portion of the base, inside the first basin, is in Medolo and not in Botticino marble like the rest of the fountain. Even the masks from which the water (non-drinkable) flows can now be admired in all their soft beauty. However, the hydraulic system was not touched, except in the upper part, just 15 centimetres, which was replaced with a stainless steel element.
Clean and brush the water supply gates inside the second tank; a waterproofing product was spread in the lower basin to solve a leak problem. The bronze nozzles and all the metal parts that were barely visible due to encrustations were also cleaned. All in agreement with the Superintendence. The work – lasted about two months due to the critical situation the fountain was in which required sophisticated and particular methodologies and tools – it was carried out by the Garattini company of Brescia, and cost the Loggia 25 thousand euros.
The councilor for Monumental Heritage Valter Muchetti and with him two architects in the sector, Alessandra Petissi and Martina Predari, illustrated the intervention. «We are in fact evaluating other interventions on the city fountains – said Muchetti – after those we have carried out to date. We already have two or three more in mind.” The construction site had been protected and enclosed by scaffolding covered with dustproof sheets which ensured the workers could work safely and at the same time minimize inconvenience in the area.
