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Knights of Columbus supports restoration of baldacchino in St. Peter’s Basilica
By Cecilia Engbert | 1/11/2024
The Knights of Columbus will fund a yearlong restoration of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s iconic baldacchino above the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly announced Jan. 11 at a Vatican press conference with Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, president of the Fabbrica di San Pietro.
The 10-story bronze, marble and gilded wood structure was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and finished in 1633. Experts with the Fabbrica de San Pietro, the institution responsible for maintaining the basilica, plan to complete the comprehensive restoration — the first since 1758 — in time for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope…