There are more than 3,400 statues on the Duomo, on which construction began in 1386.
They are carved from the dazzling pink-white marble from Candoglia quarry near Lake Maggiore northwest of Milan — and from where Calderino and his colleagues still take marble today.
“Candoglia marble is very beautiful, very special, but it is difficult to work on because it has very large calcite grains that can break, so it is fragile,” said Marco Scolari, the geologist in charge of the workshop and quarry.
The techniques of the team in Milan would also be recognisable to the craftsmen of old, albeit with some technological help.
First, Calderino, 46, makes a rough outline in the marble with his chisel.
Then with surgical precision, he sculpts it with a pneumatic hammer, before smoothing it with an abrasive stone.
‘Adopt’ a statue
In the small backyard of the workshop, the old statues form a silent crowd, waiting for a new home.