Divers restore Italy’s iconic ‘Christ of the Abyss’ monument

Digital Editor

SAN FRUTTUOSO, Liguria —

Italy’s iconic underwater Christ of the Abyss statue has had an annual underwater clean.

Placed on the seabed off the coast of San Fruttuoso in Liguria, Italy in 1954, the statue is made of melted-down metals of medals, cannons and ships, representing the soldiers’ sacrifice in World War II.

Once a year, the Liguria Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape has the tricky task of cleaning the statue.

Divers from the Italian Coast Guard, Police, Firefighters, Navy, Carabinieri and Financial Police scuba diving teams polish the statue’s bronze surface using pressurized hoses.

The use of a pressure washer allows to deep-clean the statue without touching its bronze surface, unlike previous operations that included a wire brush that has gradually worn down its thickness.

The statue, depicting Christ with his hands raised in blessing, was created by sculptor Guido Galletti to commemorate the lives of those who died in the sea and is locally appreciated as a potent symbol of sacrifice in World War II.