We’ve had a lot of eccentric stories come out of Italy lately, from court rulings on tap water service to priest calendars featuring fake priests to “tomato fraud!” I’m not complaining, just observing. And it got me thinking that it’s been 20 years since I was last in Italy?? Unacceptable!! A trip is not on the cards for this year, but I know I’ll get back there at some point. At least to Rome, because on my previous visit I dutifully partook in throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain. That’s the legend, that if you toss a coin over your shoulder, you’re guaranteed to return. I haven’t yet been to Milan, but it turns out they have the exact same ritual. Only instead of a fountain, the site is a mosaic of a bull, located in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. And instead of tossing a coin, you have to spin clockwise three times on your right foot, with the heel digging into the bull’s testicles. Hey, when you’re not the country’s capital, you gotta up the ante!
In any event, so many tourists have been pirouetting in the same spot that the poor bull’s balls were ground into what’s been described as “a small crater.” Ouch. So over the past week, our torino has been having a little work done:
A floor mosaic of an anatomically detailed bull in one of Milan’s grand arcades is getting a sensitive makeover after being worn down by thousands of passersby honouring an unusual tradition.
Legend has it that grinding your heel on the bull’s testicles at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II guarantees you will return to the city.
“Because of constant pirouettes on the heel made by tourists visiting Milan, the pink tesserae that make up its testicles have been worn down, forming a small crater,” city authorities said.
The beige mosaic is part of the flooring in the 19th-century shopping arcade, near the Duomo cathedral. It represents Turin, which was then the capital of Italy.
Gianluca Galli, a restorer, worked on the mosaic on Thursday as tourists milled around and looked at the windows of the first Prada store. “It’s probably a charming gesture, but also quite damaging for a work of art,” Galli said of the curious tradition.
He cut pieces of stone by hand after looking at designs from the period and taking an impression of the original bits. He said he would use epoxy resins instead of the original lime, and sand mortar to glue them down to better withstand tourists’ heels.
Unable to pirouette on the bull during the restoration, tourists performed a similar act on a neighbouring she-wolf mosaic representing Rome. The bull was last restored in 2017.
Emmanuel Conte and Marco Granelli, from Milan city council, said the arcade’s “lucky spot” had become worn out over time. “The gallery is a living heritage site, which can wear out precisely because it is loved and frequented,” they added.
Galli said he was proud of his work and would like to “encourage young people to take up this profession, because Italy is very much in need of male and female restorers”.
He added: “I know it’s a demanding job, because you have to travel from site to site … but it is also a job regarded in Italy as a privilege.”
I love how Signor Galli is so proud of his profession, and wants to make sure it lives on! Sometimes I wish I’d seriously considered getting into art restoration. Al Pacino once said, “There is no such thing as happiness. There is only concentration,” and whenever I paint, it is without a doubt the most concentrated I ever get. Writing comes close, but something about being language-free really helps pull me out of my head and into the moment. Plus, I’m the freak rare creature who actually enjoys incredibly detailed (what some might call tedious) projects, like delicately touching up historic works of art. All that to say, I applaud Galli’s passion and dedication. And what does he get for his efforts? Nothing but agita! After recovering from his prolonged procedure, the freshly endowed bull was opened back up to the public — and they’re all complaining about how he looks! They’re saying the new, more durable tiles are the wrong color, or that it looks like he has no testicles at all, now. Look folks, you can’t have it both ways: either let up on grinding the balls into oblivion, or make do with alterations! And why can’t we EVER be chill when someone gets some work done?! Mama mia…
Header image is a screenshot from YouTube from Delicious Italy. Other images credit Getty images
This man is practicing the dying art of taking PRIDE IN YOUR WORK.
Good grief. Can’t people just pat the poor bull’s nose or something?
Bravo for the art of the restorer.
I’ve actually done the three heel spins there, my friends who are from Milan also did it insisting it brings good luck. It was already very evident where to put your heel. Personally I didn’t think about the damage but there was always someone trying it and usually a few waiting.. no signs or barriers were posted and no one stopped the locals or tourists. If you are ever in Milan it’s a beautiful mall to visit.
I was in Milan 15 years ago and it was in rough shape then. I can’t imagine how badly it was looking now. Good for Milan for fixing it – and you can either have the spinning tradition or it fenced off/under glass – you don’t get both for all the people mad at the fix.
I wouldn’t have the patience to be a mosaic artist, so this guy is amazing in my eyes.
I did this in 2006, and back then, there was already a small crater! I was watching the ground during DWP2 when Meryl was walking through the city on her own, watching for it to show up. Hopefully the restorer can ignore the haters.