The city of Milan in Italy has begun restoring the famous "bull mosaic" after tourists from around the world followed an ancient belief by spinning their heels three times on the bull's testicles to bring good luck and to ensure a return visit to Milan, which caused the mosaic stone in that area to wear down into deep holes.
Milan city authorities have started restoring the "bull" mosaic on the floor inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a historic and luxurious 19th-century shopping arcade located near the renowned Duomo Cathedral.
This beige and blue bull mosaic represents the city of Turin, Italy's first former capital, but it has become a major tourist attraction worldwide due to a local legend dating back to the 19th century. According to the tale, anyone wishing for good luck or hoping to return to Milan should place their heel on the bull's testicles and spin clockwise three times.
The Milan city council stated in a press release that "thousands of people perform this heel-spinning gesture daily, causing the pink mosaic pieces that form the bull's testicles to be ground down and worn away, resulting in a small hollowed-out hole."
Deputy Mayors Emmanuel Conte and Marco Granelli noted that the mosaic was last restored in 2017, and this week's repairs are timely to restore its original beauty. They emphasized that "this Galleria is a living heritage that naturally wears over time due to being loved and frequently visited, and it is our duty to care for it."
This week, authorities cordoned off a small area as a temporary construction zone, where skilled art restorer Gianluca Galli meticulously hand-cut new stone pieces amid tourists watching while shopping.
To address the issue, Galli studied historical blueprints and replicated the original parts to carve new stones. However, for adhesion, he chose to use "epoxy resin" instead of traditional plaster and sand mixtures to make the mosaic surface stronger and more resistant to heel pressure from future tourists.
Reports indicate that while the popular bull mosaic is closed for repairs and inaccessible for heel-spinning, some tourists seeking good luck have temporarily shifted to performing the same heel-spinning ritual on a nearby "wolf" mosaic, which symbolizes the city of Rome.
Gianluca Galli expressed pride in the work and took the opportunity to encourage young people to consider careers in art restoration. He highlighted that Italy is growing and in need of professionals in this field. Although the job is demanding and requires traveling to various sites, in Italy it is a prestigious profession that grants special privileges by allowing close contact with and preservation of the nation's history.