Electrician finds frescoes behind false ceiling in Rome
Rome (AFP) – Rosy-cheeked
cherubs surrounded by blues, reds and golds have lost none of their
brilliance in 17th-century frescoes discovered behind a false ceiling at
the Villa Farnesina palace in Rome.
The three paintings were hidden above the vaulted ceiling of what was
once the living room of Agostino Chigi, a wealthy banker and
Renaissance patron who had the villa built at the start of the 16th
century.
Electrician Davide Renzoni stumbled upon them by chance a
year ago, after climbing through a trapdoor into the long-forgotten
space during maintenance work on the villa, which sits on the banks of
the river Tiber.
"I went to get a lamp and when I turned it on, everything appeared: it was a marvel," he told AFP on a visit this week.
Several cherubs hold up a green festoon, while another brandishes a golden helmet.
The frescoes, by a little-known artist, include the coat of arms of the noble Farnese family.
Cardinal
Alessandro Farnese bought the villa in 1579 with the idea of connecting
it to the Farnese Palace on the other side of the Tiber, though the
plan fell through.
The villa, bought by the state in 1927,
underwent major restoration work and the frescoes fell into oblivion,
curator Virginia Lapenta told AFP.
Their rediscovery last year
inspired an exhibition on the 17th century in the grounds of the villa,
which has long been renowned for its frescoes by Renaissance master
Raphael.
Although they are not accessible to the public for security reasons,
visitors can see the newly found frescoes through pictures and videos
included in the exhibition, which runs until January 12.
The displays also allow the villa to monitor the frescoes' conservation, Lapenta said.
