In the Octagon of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, just nine years later, work has once again begun on restoring Italy’s most trampled bull—an illustrious victim of superstition and the famous heel spin performed daily by thousands of visitors. 

Heel firmly planted, a decisive turn, and a wish made: this is how the bull—Turin’s heraldic symbol embedded in the Galleria’s 19th-century floor—has been literally worn down by repeated acts of ritual luck-seeking. The pink mosaic tiles eventually gave way under the pressure of thousands of spins, making yet another restoration necessary.

“A fascinating gesture, but a damaging one”, admitted restorer Gianluca Galli with elegant understatement to The Guardian, as he knelt between luxury storefronts and raised smartphones, attempting to piece back together the mosaic’s now-famous bovine testicles. The work is meticulous and surgical, carried out by hand using updated materials—epoxy resins instead of lime—to better withstand the assault of heels and slow future deterioration.

“The Galleria is a living heritage site, one that can wear down precisely because it is loved and experienced: we care for it so it can continue to be so,” said city councillors Emmanuel Conte (State Property) and Marco Granelli (Public Works). After all, Milan has always been a pragmatic city—here, success is measured in wear and tear, and the bull knows it all too well.

Opening image: Toro di Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, photo Municipality of Milan.