The statue represents Flora or Pomona - the goddess of Nature and Abundance. The statue normally sits on top of the principle drinkable water fountain on the Terrace of the Vatican Pinacoteca (Painting Gallery), one of the most visited places in the Vatican Museums with one of the best views of St. Peter's Basilica.

The intervention of the Flora statue started because it was in a more precarious condition than the other statues, and it needed urgent intervention. The interventions on the protome and the basin will be carried out next to the fountain and at a specific site. It will be essential to avoid the cold season, which is not as suitable for the adopted methodologies.

Modern open-air exposure for more than a century caused parts of advanced degradation to the Flora statue in different ways. In addition to the ancient and post-ancient restoration, the statue underwent alterations.

The result is a degradation that affects both the surface and the structure. In particular, the main problems that require interventions are:

• Cracks (more or less advanced) provoked by the spontaneous decohesion of the material and levels typical of the marble.
• Special research conducted from historical photos showed that the fissures along the left cheek were already there in the 30s of the XIX century. They seem not to be progressing if they are subject to a stable microclimate

Nonetheless, diagnostic investigations are on the agenda to verify that there are no metallic elements in active expansion.

• There is superficial erosion in the most exposed areas and de-cohesion on the right arm, the support of the right hand, and the hair inserts. On the right arm, the phenomenon produced the formation of a superficial crust, raised cracks, and detachments from the forearm. Underneath, the crystalline texture has almost lost its consistency, and the right hand has spontaneously detached from the forearm. Fortunately, this happened when the statue was already protected and provided with temporary support. The operation minimized the damage caused by the detachment.
• There is a phenomenon of chromatic alterations due to internal oxidation of the marble. There are also deposits and infiltration of foreign particles, residues of bio-deteriogenic attacks, and alterations of superimposed artificial substances such as partial patination.

The peculiarity of this restoration, and the urgency, show the complexity. Additionally, it shows how the different problems connect. It is necessary to find particular solutions and operational sequences that do not interfere with each other.

The necessary and preventive diagnostic campaign carried out so far by GRS used the ultraviolet fluorescence filming and analytical sampling for stratigraphic analysis. In addition, a 3D acquisition of the statue in its pre-restoration state was performed to produce a prototype copy to insert in the niche of the fountain that remained empty. The statue will be displayed in the gallery at the end of the restoration. During the cleaning, colorimetric measurements were taken to document the reduction of the chromatic changes. The first operation was to remove the old stucco. This task is very tedious because of the bad hydraulics, in cement or synthetic resin, and separating it from the marble border. This area is more fragile than the face because it is intrinsically decohered. On the less de-cohesive and eroded areas with a considerable deposit, almost all on the back, cleaning was carried out by softening absorbent substances, based on zeolitic clay and cellulose. Certain areas have better-preserved surfaces. For others, there is the need for a more delicate cleaning because they were already clear compared to the rest. Restorers use agar agar-based hard gels and
hot deionized water as a buffer. Most of the surface has been treated with laser equipment, which avoids the use of water on the most delicate areas full of salts. So far, only one device has been used. At the moment, the experimentation of other models of machinery is not excluded, according to the needs that will be encountered. Currently, the method of consolidation treatment of the right arm is being investigated, as well as the choice of the most suitable materials and techniques for its replacement. A temporary modular brace currently guarantees its safety. At the moment, the cleaning is continuing. Restorers are compressing some areas already treated with lasers. They are also investigating the use of bacteria and localized biocidal treatments on melamine complexes of meristematic fungal populations (if confirmed by analysis).