The head of the 'Protection of Polish Heritage Abroad' program of the 'Polonika' Institute, Piotr Ługowski, said that three paintings will be renovated in the temple in Rome: 'The Martyrdom of Saint Stanislaus', 'The Resurrection of Piotrowin' and 'The Glory of Saint Stanislaus in Heaven'. All three were painted by Filippo Bracci for the 500th anniversary of the saint's canonization.
"The paintings will be cleaned, the paint chips will have to be filled with an appropriate layer of putty, retouched, varnished - typical painting conservation with probably additions on the sides after stretching them anew on the canvas" - Piotr Ługowski explained, speaking for Polish Radio's News Agency IAR.
'Polonika' experts will also continue their work this year at the Champeaux Cemetery in Montmorency near Paris, which is the final resting place of many distinguished Poles - politicians, social activists, scientists, and people of culture.
"This year, Kazimierz Szwykowski's tombstone will be renovated" - Piotr Ługowski continued. "He was a medical doctor, he also participated in the November Uprising, for which he was awarded the Virtuti Militari medal (the highest Polish military honour). In 1870 Szwykowski took part in the Metz campaign, for which he received the Legion of Honour - the highest French order of merit. On his tombstone there is a bronze medallion with a bust of Szwykowski with these two markings , which was subjected to conservation last year and this year the work will continue on the grave field.
Piotr Ługowski added that Aleksander Orłowski's tombstone at Champeaux will be renovated too. Orłowski was an artillery captain awarded the Polish Order of Honour. The work will involve cleaning the grave site. A big challenge will be the reconstruction of the missing original cross. It is not known what happened to it - and it will be reconstructed this year. This year, work on the Jaroszyński chapel at this site will also continue, which was built in 1890 after the death of Mikołaj Jaroszyński, a knight of the Legion of Honor.
In previous years, experts from the 'Polonika' Institute renovated numerous other tombstones of important Polish figures at the Montmorency cemetery, including the graves of Bronisław Piłsudski, Helena and Alfred Paderewski, Adam Mickiewicz, Cyprian Kamil Norwid, Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz and his friend General Otto Kniaziewicz.
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Source: IAR