tech
Milan restores bull mosaic’s testicles worn down by pirouetting tourists
The artwork in a 19th-century shopping arcade has been damaged by visitors honouring an unusual tradition
TL;DR
- A floor mosaic of a bull in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is being restored.
- The mosaic's testicles were worn down by thousands of tourists performing a tradition of spinning on them.
- The tradition is believed to bring good luck and guarantee a return to Milan.
- A restorer is repairing the mosaic using epoxy resins and sand mortar for durability.
- Tourists have temporarily shifted to a neighboring she-wolf mosaic during the restoration.
- The bull mosaic was last restored in 2017.