I restauri del San Michele a Pavia (1860-1875). I prospetti e i portali

The study tries to make a contribution to the knowledge of work carried out on the façades and portals of the basilica of San Michele during the first nineteenth century restoration campaign (1860-75). In 1861, work was done on the main façade: the base, some of the windows of the central part — the cruciform window, the central window with one opening (monofora), and the two openings on its sides, but only in part —, and large portions of the portals (the lower part of the jambs, the inner parts of the archivolts and the lunettes) were re-done. The author has identified several fragments now in the Musei Civici in Pavia as the original parts of the right entrance, which underwent the most substantial restoration work. In 1863, the three monofore and the socle of the apse were completely re-done. The two windows of the arms of the transept facing east were re-opened and so were the bifore of the tiburio. The monofora in the side chapels were rebuilt. Part of the base of the south façade of the transept was integrated. A pair of coupled windows replaced the large round-window, and the two monofore below it were re-opened. The following year, work was done on the north side and its portal. A large part of the jambs of the portal on the south side were re-done, as were some of the capitals of the right jamb and the right end of some of the string-courses of the archivolt. However, the replacement of the worn down parts of the jambs of the portal of the north side were not carried out as planned.