Source: AFP

A laser developer that specializes in the design and manufacture of medical and industrial lasers is helping volunteers remove graffiti from a historic landmark in Florence, Italy.

The Italy-based El.En Group has supplied volunteers, dubbed the Angels of Beauty, with an infrared laser wand to remove graffiti from the Ponte Vecchio bridge, a medieval stone bridge that crosses the Arno River. Designated a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) heritage site for its historical significance, the bridge is covered in untold years’ worth of graffiti left behind by tourists and the lovelorn writing declarations of love.

El.En Group lasers have already been used to clean 28 other UNESCO-designated heritage sites, stripping dirt from statues, bronzes and frescoes all over the globe. However, the wand used at Ponte Vecchio is the first laser that can remove graffiti, according to the group. Although the process of removing graffiti with the wand is faster than most current methods of graffiti removal like sandblasting, which also chips away at the surface under treatment, the laser process is still a time-consuming one. According to the company, it can take up to 20 minutes to clean a 10 cm² segment of wall.

“The laser evaporates the graffiti, without damaging the stone underneath," said Daniela Valentini, who heads up the Angels' team of restorers. "Some graffiti is more difficult to remove, certain colours like silver and red for example. And it also depends how long it has been there and how porous the stone is."

Complicating the process is the frequency with which people add more graffiti to the bridge. The Angels will have to use the laser on a section of bridge they already cleaned back in January. Despite the frustration of having to repeat their work, Paolo Salvadeo general manager at El.En looks on the graffiti with understanding.

"People fall for someone, get a tattoo of their new love's name, or graffiti it on a wall. They then split up and their new partner wants the tattoo or message gone. That's where we come in," he said.