Stone Materials

The marble lab is responsible for the safe storage and conservation treatment of marble, terracotta, and other sculpted works, ensuring their accessibility for future generations. The work performed by the staff is based not only on the examination, treatment, and proper storage of the marble collection but also on technological and historical research concerning artistic processes and methods. The marble laboratory restored works can be found in The Vatican Chiaramonti Museum, The Octagonal Courtyard, The Gallery of Statues and Busts, The Pio Clementine Museum, The Egyptian Museum, The Profane Museum, and the Vatican Gardens. The Bernini Colonnade has also been restored by the Marble Laboratory.

Guy Devreux photo

Guy Devreux

Head Restorer

Guy Devreux has been Head of the Marble restoration and casting laboratory of the Vatican Museums since 2007. His work is focused on the management of internal and external restoration teams engaged in the preservation of the works in stone material present in the Vatican Museums’ collections, in addition to having the responsibility of safeguarding all the valuable stone surface material present throughout the Vatican City. After finishing his studies in restoration in Florence (1983), he began to work, specializing in various areas of restoration, in Canada (CCQ) and Belgium (IRPA). Back in Italy, he attended various masterclasses at ICCROM. Much of his work has since been focused on the management of monumental restoration sites distributed throughout Italy, from the Walls of Citadel PD to the castle of Acaia in Lecce, and from the Cathedral of Orvieto to the Certosa of San Martino in Naples, to name a few projects. Over the years he has been a consultant for several institutions in various countries, such as the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Egypt and Mali, or the World Monuments Fund in Thailand. During these years he was called to give lectures and courses in different institutions of the sector and in numerous universities in Italy and abroad (UNI Sapienza, Uni Roma Tre, Gregorian University, MIT, ICCROM, etc.)

Spotlights

Marble Lab

Marble Lab

Get Involved

Join PAVM and become a contributor the centuries-old artistic patrimony foundational to the Vatican Museums