Anyone who studies the history of Italy inevitably encounters the name Medici. Having risen to prominence as bankers, this prestigious family exercised great power over Italian politics and religion for generations. Among the most famous landmarks in their home city of Florence are the Medici Chapels in the San Lorenzo complex.Constructed in the 16th century, they contain the tombs of prominent members of the family. __1__ These include two likenessesof Medici family members and the Madonna and Child. Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to the marble masterpieces, which have accumulatedstains and layersof grime.
For the better part of the past decade, a team of restorershas been working to clean the surfaces of the statues. Effectively cleaning the marble figures without damaging them proved to be a difficult task, though. In order to get rid of the last stubborn stains, scientists and conservatorsdeveloped an unusual method. __2__ “Selecting the appropriate bacteria was the hardest task,” a researcher explained. Scientists first picked out several strains of bacteria from a collection of 1,000. __3__ With the cleaners' help, Michelangelo's masterpieces now look almost as fresh as the day they were completed.
This is not the first time that microbeshave been used to clean surfaces like this, and will probably not be the last. __4__ Perhaps one day, using bacteria as a cleaning agent will be standard practice rather than an unconventional alternative.
(A) Pollutant-eating bacteria have also been employed at other historic locations in Italy, such as the Pisa Cathedral.
(B) Featured in the chapels are several sculptures by Michelangelo, the master of Renaissance art.
(C) They then tested their top choices on a patch of marble before eventually determining the most ideal varieties.
(D) Instead of using conventional chemicals and cleaning solutions, they turned to bacteria.
