The sculpture was made in a electrotyping technique in 1909, as a copy of a 1495 statue in Venice, Italy by Andrea del Verrocchio. It was financed by Helmut and Else Toepfer, and manufactured in Wüerttembergische Metallwarenfabrik (Wüerttemberg Metal Goods Factory) in Geislingen an der Steige, Germany.[1] It became a central point of antiquity and renaissance art exhibition of the Szczecin Municipal Museum (now Szczecin National Museum) opened in 1913. It became one of the most valuable pieces in the museum's collection.[2][3]
The statue survived the Second World War undamaged. In 1947, the West Pomeranian Committee for the Capital Reconstruction, had given it, together with the rest of the museum's antiquity and renaissance collection, to the city of Warsaw. In exchange, it received the collection of Polish art.[3]
The monument was transported in pieces by rail to Warsaw on 15 January 1948. Originally, it was given to the Warsaw National Museum, and was put in its warehouse. In 1950, it was unveiled at the courtyard of the Czapski Palace, belonging to the Academy of Fine Arts. It was placed on a small pedestal, near Traugutta Street. It was used by students as a model, and over the years, it became traditionally associated with the university.[3] On 5 June 1989, the statue was added to the heritage list.[1]
The first attempts to recover the collection, which included the statue, were undertaken by members of the Solidarity trade union of the Szczecin National Museum in 1981. In 1992, the city government also joined in the efforts. In 2001, the mayor of Szczecin asked the mayor of Warsaw for help in recovering the statue. The rest of art collections exchanged between the cities, were already returned by this point.[3]
In September 2001, both cities signed agreement about the return of the statue. The Academy of Fine Arts agreed for its return in exchange for Szczecin compensating the manufacturing of its copy, with 300,000 zloties.[1][3]
On 21 August 2002, the original monument was placed at the Aviators Square in Szczecin. The unveiled ceremony was held on 31 August, and was attended by the city mayor, Edmund Runowicz, and Guardo Colleoni, descendant of Bartolomeo Colleoni. The same year, in its previous location in Warsaw was placed its replica, cast in bronze.[1][4]
In 2009, the statue underwent a through renovation, which included adding previously brokeon off sword, held in Colleoni's right hand.[5]
Design
The bronze statue depicts Bartolomeo Colleoni, wearing plate armour and helmet, and holding a sword in his right hand. He seats on a walking hoarse. The sculpture is placed on a tall granite pedestal at the Aviators Square. It has total height of 4 m, length of 3.6 m, and width of 1.8 m.[1][3][6] It features a plaque with the following inscription:
Kopia pomnika Bartolomea Colleoniego powróciła do Szczecina po 54 latach dzięki staranią mieszkańców przy wsparciu władż miasta [The copy of the Bartolomeo Colleoni Monument was returned to Szczecin after 54 years, thanks to the efforts of the city residents, with support from the municipal government]
Gallery
The right side of the staute
The left side of the staute
Commemorative plaque on the pedestal
Notes
↑ Polish: Pomnik Bartolomea Colleoniego; German: Reiterstandbild Bartolomeo Colleoni
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