The sculpture 'Apollo', at the Fregata, regains its splendor after a restoration performance

The sculpture Apollo , located in the gardens of la Fragata and which was beheaded last Carnival by a vandal action, has recovered its splendor, after a restoration process promoted by the Consortium of Heritage of Sitges and the Department of Culture . The piece, whose date of creation is unknown, has returned to its place and shows again all the pieces of its body, in addition to an unbeatable appearance, thanks to the integral recovery work carried out by the restaurateur Mònica Roca Luján.

The Apollo is one of three sculptures donated by Dr. Jesús Pérez Rosales and installed in 1977 on the Frigate (the other two being Mercury and Diana  It is artificial stone, 1.30 cm high and stands on a 65 cm pedestal. During the past Carnival the statue suffered a a bruise, which resulted in the loss of the head and one of the arms. Fortunately, however, the two pieces were recovered and restored.

In addition to breakage, the piece was damaged due to weathering, with changes in temperature and humidity, rain, wind, etc. The upper part was particularly damaged, covered with a grayish crust and also lichen and algae, many cracks and cracks, spots, scratches and marks. The bottom, legs, base and pedestal also had a lot of dirt build up.

The restoration intervention started by cleaning the entire surface, both the figure and the pedestal. Since the scab and dirt were embedded in the marble, it was necessary to perform a chemical cleaning and apply the solution with cellulose paste dressings, which were then rinsed with distilled water. This process was repeated until the desired result was achieved.

The three parts of the sculpture were then fixed together and small fiberglass rods were placed internally to strengthen the bond. Eventually, all cracks and cracks were bonded with mastic to prevent water from leaking and dissolvinghelping the stone.

On Tuesday last week, the Municipal Brigade erected the figure on its base, with the help of a forklift to move it and a crane to raise it.. And to prevent further fall, two fiberglass rods and a white cement adhesive have been installed.