50 statues from Genoa’s Albergo dei poveri are restored to their former glory
The restoration was completed thanks to the patronage of the Clerici and Friends of Genoa foundations. Works created between the 17th and 20th centuries
Fifty statues, seven busts and two medallions from the monumental complex of the Albergo dei poveri in Genoa have been restored thanks to a project carried out, through a patronage initiative, by the Friends of Genoa Foundation and the Paolo and Giuliana Clerici Foundation (the latter established by the shipping magnate Clerici and his wife). A combined donation of over 200,000 euros (approximately 100,000 each), from the two organisations has made it possible to restore the statues – crafted in stucco and marble by leading Genoese artists (and others) over the course of the building’s 370-year history – to their former glory.
The Albergo dei poveri, built from the mid-17th century onwards thanks to Emanuele Brignole, who was its first and most important benefactor, is one of Genoa’s most imposing buildings and a testament to the tradition of solidarity and generosity that has characterised the city’s history. The sculptures inside, created between the 17th and 20th centuries, form a veritable gallery of stone figures: benefactors, nobles and figures linked to the institution’s history. The works include pieces by some of the most prominent exponents of the Genoese school of sculpture.
As Annamaria de Marini, the hotel’s superintendent, recalls, the journey begins with Pierre Puget’s ‘Immaculate Conception’ (on the high altar of the complex’s church, Ed. ), one of the finest Baroque sculptures in our city, to Francesco Maria Schiaffino, one of the most important artists of the 18th century, Filippo Parodi, Giovanni Baratta from Carrara, Giacomo Antonio Ponsonelli, Pasquale Bocciardo, right through to the most recent names, which are those of the great 20th-century Genoese school of sculpture centred on Staglieno Cemetery: Norberto Montecucco and Giovanni Scanzi’.
The campaign to promote the building’s historic area – which, covering 60,000 square metres, was originally built to provide shelter for the city’s poor and is now, in part, restored and also houses lecture theatres for the University of Genoa, was launched by the Friends of Genoa Foundation in March 2025 and continued until mid-2026. This was no easy task, but it was made possible in part by a significant donation from the Paolo and Giuliana Clerici Foundation, which chose to support the other organisation in the restoration project, sharing the aim of returning the Albergo dei poveri to the city.
Prior to restoration, the surfaces showed deposits that had built up over time, colour changes, small gaps, cracks and flaking, which partly prevented the works from being appreciated as they had originally been conceived. The restoration, carried out by conservators Sara Davolio Marani, Daniela Tasso, Matilde Garré, Francesca Olcese and Francesca Ventre, was conducted using a conservative approach, respecting the original material and minimising interference, through cleaning, consolidation, filling of gaps and colour restoration. The work has allowed details and expressive features to re-emerge which, in some cases, had long since become illegible. For some of the statues, this was the first restoration work carried out since they were first created.
