The newly refurbished La Pigna was reinstalled on Federal Hill, Wednesday.
It’s been gilded in 24 karat gold.
The famous pinecone and arch were renovated after hanging over Atwells Ave for 47 years, untouched.
La Pigna drew a crowd as it was driven down the avenue, wrapped in plastic, and then hoisted back up. It stands as a symbol of hospitality and welcome.
The budget for the project was $420,000, and the hope was to have it complete by the 41st annual Columbus Festival on Federal Hill.
Federal hill commerce association president, Rick Simone, says the project is about 80% complete, but the main parts are in place.
“The arch had some little facelifts we were able to do you’re going to see at the top of the columns the rose gold color coming out of the patina and literally they did the work by hand,” Simone said.
Each base and column was restored, cleaned, and painted.
La Pigna was gilded in 24 karat gold to match the Independent Man atop the Rhode Island State House.
“The restoration effort behind this… striping it down to the fiberglass restoring all of its, every internal combustion piece that you can think of associated with this has been completely restored before it was gilded,” said Simone.
He said $310,000 were raised between the city and state for the project, with the rest coming from private contributions.
In the next weeks, crews will continue to beautify the surrounding area with planters, benches, and additional lighting.