STONE GARGOYLE ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. LAWRENCE IN TROGIR – CONSERVATION-RESTORATION EFFORT

U radu je prikazan dio konzervatorsko-restauratorskog zahvata na južnoj galeriji katedrale sv. Lovre u Trogiru. Jedna od sedam preostalih vodoriga u obliku životinjske glave iz početka 15. stoljeća zbog iznimnih je oštećenja demontirana, konzervirana i restaurirana, a na njezino je mjesto ugrađena lijevana replika vjerna zatečenom stanju originala.At the beginning of the 15th century, ten stone gargoyles were installed on the southern side of the Cathedral of St. Lawrence in Trogir. This article covers the methods used to restore one of the preserved gargoyles shaped like an animal\u27s head. The author of the stone gargoyles was Petar Pozdančić Radmilov and his workshop. A visual overview of the present state of the southern facade of the Cathedral of St. Lawrence in Trogir shows major damage on the head of one of the gargoyles, which was subsequently dismantled due to its poor condition. Returning the original to its place on the facade in such a poor condition would present a danger for any passers by, as well as the gargoyle itself. At the time when the decision whether to make a replica was being made, several theoretical suggestions, professional opinions and conservation-restoration dilemmas arose. One of the proposed solutions was for the replica to perfectly match the current state of the gargoyle, and another called for the removal of some damage and restoration of certain missing features. Finally, the third suggestion was to craft a stone replica which would have the missing pieces of the ears and jaw of the animal head, as well as the floral decoration on its neck, restored. In order to properly resolve this problem, a team of experts decided to have two replicas made simultaneously; one from stone with all of the original features intact, and another which was cast in multiple molds to match the present state of the gargoyle. As they were being made, experts had already settled on having the molded replica restored to the facade, as it respects the nature and character of the original gargoyle, and also imitates the nature of the sculptor\u27s style and the original\u27s texture, upon which time left its mark. Considering that the members of the conservation-restoration profession strive towards preserving and slowing the decay of cultural heritage with the right approach for a given problem, through the careful selection of appropriate methods, complex tasks that always require a positive result for the benefit of overall cultural well-being can be completed. By making a replica, the original gargoyle remains preserved for future generations, as a witness to the past