Turku Cathedral conservators clean 1850s fresco without helmets

Conservators cleaning a fresco nearly 20 metres above the altar at Turku Cathedral are temporarily working without helmets to avoid damaging the artwork, Yle reports. A separate safety plan allows the exception: workers put their helmets back on as soon as they stop working beside the painting.

The fresco, painted by Robert Wilhelm Ekman in the 1850s, is believed to be the first work in Finland made using the fresco technique. Conservator Elina Järvelä said it later inspired other Finnish frescoes.

The cleaning is part of the cathedral’s renovation, which began in spring 2026. The fresco has first been dry-cleaned with natural latex sponges. Conservators are now using wet cleaning to remove more stubborn dirt, particularly from lighter areas, which Järvelä hopes will stand out more clearly when viewed from the floor.

The figures of angels have remained unusually close to their original condition, Järvelä said. But earlier repairs have left marks on the blue background areas, where old retouching has changed over time and become visible as uneven patches. The main choir fresco was previously conserved in the 1920s and 1970s.

Scaffolding in the cathedral has reached about 24 metres in its highest section. Its components have to be carried into the building by hand, and installers work from both ends at once to reduce the risk of striking delicate surfaces. Archive photographs show that wooden scaffolding was used for similar work in the 1920s.

The renovation is budgeted at about 24 million euros and is proceeding on schedule. It is due to be completed by the first Sunday of Advent in 2028.