Milan is restoring a 19th-century floor mosaic of a bull in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade after years of wear from tourists who perform a local tradition. Visitors have long been seen spinning on their heels on the bull’s groin, a practice believed to guarantee a return to the city. Over time, the repeated movement worn down the small pink tiles that depict the bull’s testicles, leaving a visible crater or depression.
Multiple outlets report that restorers are carrying out a sensitive refurbishment to return the damaged area to its former appearance. While the restoration is intended to repair wear and preserve the artwork, some critics respond that the work may have altered the bull’s anatomy—mocking that it appears to have lost the depiction of the testicles. The debate centers on how the restored tiles match the original detail and whether the refurbishment fully preserves the artwork’s intended look.
