Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan
http://saladelleassecastello.it/
2 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
The restoration Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3 Decoration .............................................................................................................. 4 Why a restoration? ................................................................................................. 5 A series of unfortunate events ................................................................................ 6 The restoration plan ................................................................................................ 8 Follow the restoration ............................................................................................. 9
Telling the restoration Why stories? ......................................................................................................... 43 The stories ............................................................................................................ 44 Bibliography .......................................................................................................... 45
Actors Municipality of Milan – Culture Office .................................................................. 47 The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism ........................................... 48 Opificio delle Pietre Dure ...................................................................................... 49 A2A ....................................................................................................................... 50 ARCUS ................................................................................................................... 51 Institutional and scientific partner ........................................................................ 52
On the Job Restoration credits ................................................................................................ 53 Scientific commitee ............................................................................................... 55 At work ................................................................................................................. 56
Talk with us Map ...................................................................................................................... 60 Visits ..................................................................................................................... 61 Contacts and Press ................................................................................................ 62 Credits ................................................................................................................... 63
3 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
The restoration
Introduction
The room at the first floor of the north-east great tower of Sforza Castle, also called Sala delle Asse, got its name from the wooden planks which covered the walls long time ago, probably with the aim to safeguard the room from humidity. The room was a significant and important setting where Sforza family welcomed their guests and ambassadors.
For this reason, Leonardo Da Vinci, called in the city of Milan by Ludovico Sforza, known as “il Moro” (“the moor”), perform the pictorial decoration of the room in 1498. He promised he would finish the work within few months.
Leonardo (probably with some helpers) painted on the vault of the room a fake arbor, made by a series of branches and golden ropes, intertwined.
At present, we don’t know if the decoration had ever been completed.
When, starting from 1499, the Duchy of Milan was conquered by the French, a decline period started for the castle, which was turned into a barracks and since that moment, the Sala delle Asse was used as stable. A layer of lime was spread all over Leonardo’s painting, until the end of the nineteenth century.
Sala delle Asse – North corner
Sala delle Asse – South corner
4 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Decoration
Sala delle Asse represents one of the very first examples of illusionist decoration whose aim is to transform a big room of an interior space into an external location: visitors are completely captured by the arbor’s branches, among which are mulberries, intertwined and supported by majestic trunks and their immense roots.
These are all painted though a monochrome technique, and can be observed on the northern angle of the room, while on the vault are the branches, intertwined with golden ropes. The branches make a geometrical pattern come to life, which reminds the very renowned knots by Leonardo da Vinci.
The choice for the mulberry fruit (from Latin, morus) – which according to the botanical symbolism represents wisdom and prudence – probably reflects the goodness of the Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza, called “il Moro”.
Detail of the roots
Detail of the vault
5 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Why a restoration?
The last restoration of Sala delle Asse dates back to the Fifties. In 2006, due to a decline situation, a campaign to inspect the conservation stage of the paintings was carried out. It has evidenced the need for a quick intervention.
Therefore, a restoration project has been developed, with a threefold objective:
investigate and eliminate the principles causing the paintings’ worsening;
detect the repainting layers and the interventions which have occurred over the years, through investigation processes;
evaluate the possibility to recover the legibility of the decoration, in regard to the conservation history of the work of art.
Coat of arms
Detail of the vault
6 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
A series of unfortunate events
1498, 21st April: a letter from the ducal clerk of the court, Gualtiero da Bascapè, tells Ludovico il Moro that Leonardo is starting the decoration of the room “da le asse, cioè da la tore” (the room – in Italian “Sala” of the planks, that is of the tower and that “Magistro Leonardo promete finirla per tuto Septembre” (Master Leonardo promises to complete it by the end of September).
1499, 18th October: Louis XII of France solemnly enters Milan , and accommodates in the luxurious ducal court of the Castle. Ludovico il Moro is then obliged to run away and the room loses its original representative function.
1535: the Spanish succeed the French to guide Milan. Since then, there is no news about Sala delle Asse for more than a century.
1706: after the Spanish, the Austrians come. The Castle becomes a barracks and Sala delle Asse is turned into a shelter for artillery horses.
1893: the Castle becomes a property of the municipality of Milan. The first restoration actions started, during which the scholar Paul Müller-Walde, while taking away the plaster, found some painting traces that were attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci.
1901: the person in charge of the restoration works of the Castle, Luca Beltrami, architect and representative of the Kingdom, assigns the decoration charge of Sala delle Asse to the painter and decorator Ernesto Rusca who, according to the restoration idea of that time, largely repainted the pictorial surface.
1902: the restoration of Sala delle Asse is presented to the public. Immediately, disapproval is strong: Adolfo Venturi, a famous art critic, asserts “Questo non è più Leonardo, questa è una Gambrinus Halle” (This is Leonardo no more, this is rather a Gambrinus Halle).
1954: the second restoration of Sala delle Asse starts. On October 14th, Costantino Baroni, the director of the civic museums of Sforza Castle, writes “è stato autorizzato il restauratore Ottemi della Rotta ad effettuare sondaggi in
Leonardo da Vinci
Sforza Castle
7 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
tutta la superficie della volta affrescata di Sala delle Asse, allo scopo di accertare quanto dell’originaria stesura leonardesca potesse sussistere dietro la generale ridipintura che sul principio di questo secolo fece il pittore Rusca” ( the restaurer Ottemi della Rotta has been appointed for carrying out all the needed probes on the whole vault’s surface of Sala delle Assi, to verify how much of the original painting by Leonardo is still living behind the repainting by Rusca, which was made at the beginning of this century).
1956: the second and last restoration of Sala delle Asse comes to an end. And the paintings by Rusca are nearly completely taken away.
Luca Beltrami
8 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
The restoration plan
The restoration project was developed by the Department of Cultural Heritage and Landscape of the Lombardy Region, together with Department of Arts, History, and Ethno-antropology of Milan, the Department of Architecture and urban Heritage of Milan, Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence. The main aim is to give back the right “legibility” to the decoration of Sala delle Asse.
The project concerns the preliminary researches and the diagnostics campaign, the intervention on the preparatory drawing on the northern angle of the room, and the implementation of the study project on the paintings marking out the vault and the lunettes.
The initial phase of the restoration project includes archive, historical and artistic research and, above all, a series of enquiries using the most advanced diagnostics techniques.
The main objective of the intervention is to stop the decline causes (caused by environmental and chemical ongoing processes), to clean the surfaces from the dirty layers and eventually to make the decorations legible, while being respectful of the previous restoration interventions.
Being the current situation quite complex, different phases of intervention are foreseen, that, starting from the monochrome, will be planned according to the results of the studies and of the diagnostic analyses.
Thermographic inspection
Scan of the vault
9 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Follow the restoration
Follow the restoration: here are some images and videos describing the intervention steps of the
restoration project, and allowing to better follow the whole process.
February 2017
The laser is proving increasingly useful in the “descialbo” phase: there emerge some signs of
charcoal
Superintendent Marco Ciatti of OPD visits to the site to check the status of the conservation Monochrome
January 2017
Anna Brunetto cleans out with laser from the El.En. Company. The laser is used to remove the layers of plaster searching for the original painting on the walls, and it is used to find Leonardo’s colour on the lunettes.
10 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
December 2016
The extraction of salt from the walls of the
vault continues
Directors, restorers and diagnosticians discuss the results of the analysis: the first volume on the restoration of the Sala delle Asse is about to be published
11 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
November 2016
The Scientific Committee meets to discuss the latest findings emerged from diagnostics and the cleaning tests
Colleagues of the Musée du Louvre visit the site: Dominique Cordelier (conservateur en chef), Sébastien Allard (directeur du département des peintures)
e Vincent Delieuvin (conservateur de la peinture italienne du XVIe siècle)
The journalist Francesca Bonazzoli interview the Director Claudio Salsi
12 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
October 2016
Restorers keep working on the descialbo and the pictorial integrations
After the study of the wall, the laser is used to remove the layers of plaster
September 2016
The restorer Alberto Felici puts the laser for cleaning the lunettes to the test
The Group of Urbanfile Milano on the scaffolding of the Sala delle Asse with the restorers and Francesca
Tasso. On their page (http://blog.urbanfile.org/2016/09/21/milano-
castello-il-leonardo-svelato-piano-piano/), the report of the visit.
13 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
The restorer Alberto Felici removes the painted cards made by Ottemi Della Rotta to hide the traces of the restoration by Ernesto Rusca, which had been left for
documentation sake.
July/August 2016 – On holiday…
June 2016
The restorers observe the lunettes and start to look for the original painting under the intervention of Ernesto Rusca and Ottemi Della Rotta
Antonio Sansonetti of ICVBC-CNR takes a
sample of the salts from the vault for laboratory
testing
14 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
May 2016
The scaffolding on all the four walls is completed. Now every cm of the painting can be seen very
closely
Maria Rosa Lanfranchi starts the study on the trees’ trunks while Alberto Felici works on the lunettes
April 2016
The restorer Maria Rosa Lanfranchi intervenes on the nodes and the coat of arms of the vault. We are building the final scaffolding which will occupy all the walls: Sala delle Asse is closed to the public
15 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
The journalist Rossella Canevari interviews Francesca Tasso streaming live on periscope
(http://www.rossellacanevari.com/onein3/cms/a-world-first-time-solo-per-gli-utenti-di-periscope:-leonardo-da-
vinci-(la-sala-delle-asse)/)
The RAI journalist Mario Tozzi shoots an episode of “Fuori Luogo” in Sala delle Asse talking with the restorers
March 2016
The first cleaning trails by laser are made on the
north wall lunettes
The construction of the scaffolding which will complete the pilot-project on the vault starts
A video is produced to show the multimedia projection that accompanied and amazed Sala delle Asse visitors during Expo Milano 2015
16 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
February 2016
The restoration of the north-east wall goes on: scalpel in hand, the restorers are looking for traces of the
original drawing
Two Leonardo da Vinci scholars exchange views
in front of the monochrome: Pietro C.
Marani and Martin Kemp
Also the Japanese TV wants to take close
filming to Leonardo’s painting
January 2016
The study project of the vault and lunettes goes on. After the salts’ removal phase, the OPD restorers carry out cleaning tests by applying Japanese papers soaked with chelating agents. Once the papers are removed, color is
fixed with synthetic polymers
17 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
December 2015
The Scientific Committee meets to take stock of the analysis and cleaning trials of the pilot-project on the vault
Absorbing compresses start to be applied in order
to extract soluble salts from the vault
November 2015
Politecnico di Milano has installed an anemometer on top of Falconiera tower, where Sala delle Asse lies: do
the wind’s speed and direction affect the room’s microclimate?
The work on the lunettes is insidious: according to the restorers, it is not easy to intervene on a painting which
has been restored several times in the past. But removing the oldest restorations may generate great
surprises...
18 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
October 2015
Giovanni Valotti, president of A2A, visits the site together with his staff The study project of the lunettes goes on and the results start to come out
Antonio Sansonetti of ICVBC-CNR extracts the salts on the vault: they will be sent for laboratory testing
The first trials for cleaning the vault take place
19 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
September 2015
The multimedia installation in Sala delle Asse continues to attract many visitors Professor Antonio Paolucci, director of the Vatican
Museums and member of Sala delle Asse Scientific
Committee, visits the work site
The study project of the vault and the lunettes goes on, and the ICVBC-CNR accomplishes the FTIR spectroscopy
Serena Romano, returning from the inauguration of
the exhibition “Giotto, l’Italia” at Palazzo Reale,
climbs into the scaffoldings to admire the restored
Monochrome
August 2015 – On holiday…
July 2015
20 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Maria Teresa Fiorio talks about the stay of Leonardo in Milan and his conception of painting
June 2015
The pilot-project on the vault has started. The restorers work on branches, leaves and blackberries
21 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
May 2015
Cecilia Frosinini illustrates the techniques of the transposition of the drawing in mural painting
Cecilia Frosinini illustrates the techniques of the transposition of the
drawing in mural painting
April 2015
Carmen Bambach, conservationist at the Drawings and Prints Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Vincent Delieuvin, conservationist at the Paintings Department of the Louvre Museum, visit the work site and talk
with the restoration experts
22 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
The Sala delle Asse is open. Visitors may admire the restored monochrome and, thanks to the multimedia installation designed by Culturanuova, listen to the history of the room and of the complex restoration intervention,
directly from the restoration experts!
The restored monochrome arouses the interest even of French television: on the scaffolds, the TV crew of France
1
Antonio Sansonetti of ICVBC-National Research Centre describes the trials for extracting soluble salts from the
walls of the Sala delle Asse
23 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
March 2015
The cleaning of the monochrome is nearly completed. Restoration experts work at the grouting
The restoration of the Sala delle Asse is described to
the RAI TV crew of BELLITALIA
Worksite photographer Mauro Ranzani documents progress in the work on the Western wall, where a
landscape has been rediscovered
The staff of Politecnico di Milano inspects the
Ponticella di Bramante to complete a study of areas surrounding the Sala delle
Asse
Antonio Sansonetti from ICVBC explains molecular spectroscopy analyses
24 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
February 2015
The work of integrating
gaps in painting with plaster begins
A trunk appears on the
eastern wall. The reading is made clearer by working with tablets of solid gel..
..and with a lancet
Another fragment of tree with a large knot appears on the eastern wall, below
the plastered area
But the most impressive
discovery is on the western wall: a landscape emerges
under several layers of plaster
The new discoveries must be presented to the press: a new laser technique for
plaster removal is experimented for the
occasion
On May 18, Council
member Filippo Del Corno with Claudio Salsi, Michela
Palazzo and Cecilia Frosinini presents to the
press the findings emerged
Participants in the press
conference include Giovanni Valotti, president
of A2A..
..and Ettore Pietrabissa,
general director of ARCUS
Restorers Fabrizio Bandini and Paola Ilaria Mariotti
wait for the press conference, with Massimo
Chimenti, president of Culturanuova
This video illustrates for
the reporters a multimedia project created by
Culturanuova to highlight the value of the Sala delle
Asse during EXPO
FAI (national foundation
for the protection of Italian art and landscape)
presents to the press the art history class "Leonardo.
A life"
25 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
January 2015
The restoration of the mural painting is strictly
connected to the study of architecture: it is necessary to examine the extrados of
the vault in the room
In the extrados Politecnico di Milano surveys the
architectonic and thermo-hygrometric characteristics of the room beneath Sala
delle Asse
An exceptional guest arrives in the Sala delle
Asse: Italian song-writer Roberto Vecchioni is
welcomed by Claudio Salsi and Francesca Tasso
Roberto Vecchioni will talk about the Sforza dynasty and the Sala delle Asse on Rai Storia, in an episode
dedicated to Italian "Signorie"
Meanwhile, the work of uncovering continues on
the walls
Interview: Antonio Sansonetti (ICVBC-National research Center) explains the microscopic examination of samples taken from the Sala delle Asse
26 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
December 2014 – Interview
Interview: Michela Palazzo talked about of the past restoration of Sala delle Asse
December 2014
The scientific committee met on Tuesday, December 16, 2014: scholars commented on the latest results of the restoration
Piero Baglioni, Director of CSGI discussed with the staff of OPD and CNR-
ICVBC on how to pursue the diagnostic
investigations on the monochrome
27 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
November 2014 – Interview
Interview: restoration expert Maria Rosa Lanfranchi talks about the difference between fresco-secco painting and true fresco
Interview: Who is Maria Rosa Lanfranchi?
November 2014
Investigations in Hypercolorimetric
Multispectral Imaging by Profilocolore Srl continue to identify the materials used in the monochrome
Restoration expert Pinin Brambilla Barcilon, famous for having restored, among other artworks, Leonardo’s Last Supper, visits the worksite in the Sala delle
28 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
October 2014 – Interview
Interview: Claudio Salsi talks about the ‘actors’ in the restoration of the Sala delle Asse
October 2014
A small group of instagramers (IgersMilano) visits the working site: here are some shoots. Photographs by Marco Lamberto
Scholar Jill Pederson from
Arcadia University of Philadelphia observes the
monochrome
The CNR-ICVBC identifies
substances present on certain portions of the
monochrome during the cleaning, using a portable
X fluorescence
Certain enlargements of the painted surface are
studied through the video camera of a digital
microscope placed directly on the wall
Architect Gianfranco
Pertot of Politecnico di Milano visits the working
site and illustrates the architecture of the Sala delle Asse from outside
29 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
September 2014 – Interviews
Interview: Restoration expert Alberto Felici talks about the scaffolding in the working site
September 2014
Tests for removing soluble salts from the walls are in
progress
Meeting with the
scaffolding experts: they need to design a way to make the Sala delle Asse accessible during Expo
2015
Filippo del Corno, city
councilman for Culture, visits the working site
The technical committee
meets to discuss the results of preliminary tests for
cleaning the monochrome
August 2014 – On holiday…
30 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
July 2014 – Interviews
Interview: Restoration expert Fabrizio Bandini talks about the "descialbo" of mural painting
July 2014
Cleaning tests are performed on the
monochrome
More cleaning tests on the
intrados of the eastern window
The technical committee
meets to discuss the results of the latest analyses on
the monochrome
The Regional Direction of
Lombardy and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure of
Florence report to the Milanese superintendents
about the latest work
31 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
June 2014 – Interviews
Interview: Restoration expert Paola Ilaria Mariotti talks about the investigations performed by OPD in 2006 and about the danger of salts to mural painting
June 2014
Larry Keith, Director of
Conservation at the National Gallery of
London, steps on the scaffolds to examine the
vaulted ceiling
A few samples are taken from the monochrome
A moment of reflection on
the results of the restoration
Giorgio Bonsanti, former
superintendent to Opificio delle Pietre Dure, visits the
site
32 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
May 2014 – Interviews
Interview: Elisabetta Rosina explains why
infrared thermography has been used in the
restoration
Interview: Elisabetta Rosina explains what is
beneath the monochrome
Interview: Elisabetta Rosina explains what happened during the
restoration of the 1950s
Interview: Elisabetta Rosina talks about the microclimatic factors
operative in the Sala delle Asse
May 2014
The thermographic
analysis continues in different bands on the
monochrome, carried out by Claudia Daffara of the
University of Verona
Claudia Daffara positions the IR lamps and thermal
imaging camera
Marcello Melis of
Profilocolore Srl shows the early results of the
diagnostic studies in Hypercolorimetric
Multispectral Imaging
The staff of Hoc-Lab
editing the video of the interviews with the
restorers
33 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
April 2014 – Interview
Interview: Annette Keller - high-definition
multispectral campaigns
Interview: Francesca Tasso explains the decoration in the Sala delle Asse in light of the new discoveries
April 2014
Diagnostic investigations in
Hypercolorimetric Multispectral Imaging
(HMI) by Profilocolore Srl on the monochrome walls
Thanks to the HMI analysis
of Profilocolore Srl it is possible to distinguish and
classify the various substances used in the
artworks
The staff of Culturanuova
srl installs Modus Operandi® software on the computer of the Sala delle Asse, for elaboration of all
the restoration data
April 7, 2014: meeting of the Scientific Committee
for the Sala delle Asse
The Scientific Committee
climbs on the scaffolds for the first time
Annette Keller performs a
new photographic campaign in infrared and
reflexed ultraviolet
Special Wood lamps flood
the surface of the monochrome with
ultraviolet light
The restoration works on the monochrome continue
34 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
March 2014
Executive meeting
between the Director of restoration works and CNR-ICVBC (National
Research Council)
CNR-ICVBC draws
superficial samples from the intrados of the east
window
The samples will be
analysed in a laboratory in order to identify the salts
on the surface
The presence of salts is confirmed also on the
surface of the preparatory sketch
Restoration experts
prepare materials that will be used for testing the
extraction of soluble salts
The purpose of absorbing compresses is to extract salts from the surface of
the east window’s intrados
Compresses with different
compositions are placed on position; they will be
removed at different times
Monitoring the saline
content of areas treated with compresses enables
restoration experts to test the effectiveness of the
materials used
Sala delle Asse is present
at the Restoration Salon in Ferrara in 2014
The exhibit booth was created by the General
Director of Valorisation for the Ministry of Cultural
Heritage and Activities and Tourism
The screen of Culturanuova s.r.l. in the booth of Mibact offers a virtual visit to the
Sala delle Asse
OPD describes restoration work in the Sala delle Asse during one of the talks at
the Salon
35 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
February 2014
The restoration workshop
is equipped with all the necessary chemicals
And even some domestic
appliances!
The height of the scaffold
will allow investigating the vaulted ceiling and the
lunette
Restoration of the
preparatory sketch begins
Director Claudio Salsi talks
with the restoration experts
Together with the
preparatory sketch, samples of cleaning are
performed on the intradossi (jambs) of the
two large
The School of High
Formation of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure of
Florence visits the site
Paola Ilaria Mariotti, who teaches at the School, is
also one of four restoration experts for the Sala delle
Asse
January 2014
Politecnico di Milano
performs psychrometric measurements in order to
collect data on temperature and relative
humidity
CNR-ICVBC acquires chemical data on the
materials of the preparatory sketch
through Raman Spectroscopy
The Raman spectroscope is moved on to the lunettes
The Raman technique is
performed using different tools
36 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
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Another non-invasive analysis that employs
infrared light: FTIR Spectroscopy
The scaffold is modified to provide each level with a
hydraulic system
and with lighting, making
it easier to work
The ventilation system is
essential in order to maintain adequate
environmental conditions for the restoration experts
Microstories 2013
At the beginning of October 2013, under layers of plaster, a preparatory drawing trace was found, on the eastern wall of Sala delle Asse. The existence of other similar traces was immediately hypothesized, and the hypothesis
turned out to be true: after the removal of the planks, a small watercolor drawing’s trace emerged on the southern wall, heavily submerged by layers of whitewash. After the removal of these layers a drawing with branches and
pulpy leaves was offered to the restorers’ eyes, quite akin to the vegetable elements of the monochrome.
Removal of the planks in Sala delle Asse, near the window on the eastern wall, has revealed a small drawing. The restorers from the Florentine “Opificio” have removed the whitewash that partially covered this beautiful drawing’s
trace, comparable, for technique, to the so-called monochrome on the same wall, in the north-eastern corner. Actually, we can suppose that it’s a section of trunk, probably drawn with charcoal and overshadowed with marked
horizontal lines.
37 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
December 2013 – Interviews
Interview: Francesca Tasso explains how the memory of such a splendid work by Leonardo had been lost for
centuries
December 2013
Claudia Daffara (University
of Verona) performs the thermo graphic inspection with different bands on the
monochrome
The dual band, infrared
scanner and the thermo-camera allows discovering detachments of the paint
layers
CNR completes a field
survey using the fluorescence X rays portable analyzer
The fluorescence X analysis
on the paint layers provides important
information on the utilized materials
38 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
November 2013 – Interview
Interview: The council
member Filippo Del Corno talks about the value of
this restoration
Interview: Cecilia Frosinini
talks about the monochrome and the
analysis performed on the monochrome so far
Interview: Cecilia Frosinini talks about the next step
on the monochrome
Interview: Francesca Tasso
talks about the results produced by historical and archival investigation so
far
November 2013
Assembling the permanent
scaffolding
OPD defines the setting of
the scaffolding
The scaffolding will be
assembled on the north and east wall, where the monochrome is located
In parallel to the
monochrome's restoration, the investigation of the
vault will begin
The monochrome about to
be covered by the scaffolding
The assembly of the
scaffolding is completed
Annette Keller,
collaborator of OPD, starts the technical photographic
campaign
The UV fluorescence is
aimed at spotting traces of the binders used in the
original decoration and of the restoration
39 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
October 2013
The photographer Mauro Ranzani is the author of
the photographic campaign of the ongoing
restoration process
During the cleaning phase, a rather complex situation of some overlapped layers
of plaster can be detected…
While removing the plaster
layers, some traces of monochrome painting are visible on the eastern wall
New drawing’s traces are identified on the southern
wall…
New drawing’s traces on
the western wall
All the traces are observed
by the UV lamp
Preparatory steps in the
conference room at Palazzo Reale
The protagonists of the
press conference
Claudio Salsi talks about Sala delle Asse and the
complex restoration project
Last visit at Sala delle Asse: the room will reopen its doors on the occasion of
2015 EXPO
The council member highlights the role of
Sforza Castle as a focal point for the project about
Leonardo
The superintendent of
Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Marco Ciatti, answers the
journalists
40 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
September 2013
The outcomes of the
research will be published on the short run and made
public by October
After summer holidays the restorers of Opificio delle
Pietre Dure of Florence go back to work on the
scaffolding
The equipment of the
restorers come back to Sala delle Asse: smocks, and protection footware
The restorer Fabrizio
Bandini observes the first results after the layers of
plaster have been removed
The restorers Fabrizio
Bandini and Maria Rosa Lanfranchi talk about the
removal of the plaster
The scaffolding needs to be moved to the western wall
The restorers of Opificio
delle Pietre Dure of Florence at work on the
western wall of Sala delle Asse
The Artistic Heritage team
start working at the material to be published
on the website
Ilaria De Palma and Luca
Tosi prepare the launch of the website by Hoc-Lab
The Hoc-Lab Staff works at
the website contents
The Hoc-Lab staff attends a meeting with Francesca
Tasso
Professor Paolo Paolini defines the information
architecture of the website
41 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
August 2013 – On holiday…
July 2013
In July 2013 the equipment
by Centro Conservazione and Restauro La Venaria
Reale are stored
Venaria Reale records
some videos of the vault, gaining a three-
dimensional relief
The multispectrial imaging by Venaria Reale includes
the monochrome
The restoration project can
begin thanks to A2A and Arcus
In July 2013 the moving
scaffolding is assembled. Sala delle Asse is closed to
the public.
The moving scaffolding allow the restorers to
launch the pilot-project on the monochrome
The scaffolding allow the
restorers to reach a 5 meters-high surface
The restorers of Opificio
delle Pietre Dure of Florence start climbing into
the scaffolding
First, the restorers perform some assays by removing
some layers of plaster dating back to the XVIII
century
The restorers perform
some assays by removing some layers of plaster from
the western wall
3 July 2013: meeting of the
scientific committee
The scientific committee
visits Sala delle Asse
42 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
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The scientific committee
discusses about the restoration progress
On July, 25th the singer Patti Smith visit Sforza
Castle
In Sala della Asse,
Francesca Tasso illustrates the decoration to Patti
Smith
The keepers Francesca
Tasso and Giovanna Mori together with Patti Smith
Before…
Sala delle Asse looked as
such before the restoration. In the
northern-east angle the monochrome is well
defined
Until 2010 the walls of the
room were covered by a boiserie (wodden panels) dating back to the Fifties’
restoration
In 2006 the diagnostics
surveys start, performer by OPD, in cooperation with
Italia Nostra
The monochrome is
photographed at visible light, ultraviolet light, and
infrared light
Some details of the vault
are photographed at visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared light
The restoration of the
Fifties has totally removed the painting of the early
1900s
In February 2011 the
removal of the boiserie (wodden panels) starts and
ad hoc supporting structures are assembled
in the room
The removal works keep
going for 2 weeks
43 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Once the boiserie (wodden panels) being removed, a
door emerges, visible through the reliefs of the
room by Beltrami
The walnut floorboards
were grounded to the wall through little iron blocks
nailed down
The analyses by
Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia dell’Ambiente Costruito (Department of Science and Technologies of the Built Environment)
start
The thermography
highlights Sala delle Asse is built on a complex mural
surface
Some probes are placed to
constantly control the temperature and the
humidity degree within the environment
In February 2012
Haltadefinizione® performs a high-quality definition
photographic campaign of the room
The photographic
campaign Haltadefinizione® allows
the high-quality definition relief of all surfac
Haltadefinizione® performs
the relief of the monochrome drawing through the UV light
reflected
44 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Telling the restoration
Why stories?
Digital storytelling is a modern and efficient way to talk about cultural heritage. The spread of the media (images, video, audio…) and the diffusion of mobile devices (tablets, smart-phones, players of any kind) has made the multimedia stories the most natural way to talk about culture, both at specific and general level. A “classic” web page is generally either read very quickly or printed (for a later use); a multimedia story, if properly made, is likely to keep the attention of the users for some minutes, in different contexts: in front of a PC, while sitting in a café using the tablet, while walking in the city, or while visiting a cultural good.. The user decides where and how to use the story and on which device. HOC-LAB (Politecnico di Milano) has developed 1001stories, a very innovative environment for the creation of multimedia stories. The stories about Sala delle Asse can be accessed through several devices and in various ways. They can be downloaded or used on-line, while visiting Sforza Castle
Sala delle Asse: towards a new restoration
Sala delle Asse: ancient events
45 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
The stories
The multimedia stories offer a synthesis and an in-depth analysis of the most relevant themes. They are based on interviews to experts and restoration’s key players.
Sala delle Asse: towards
a new restoration
Ancient events
Modern events
The decoration
The archive talks
Intervention techniques
Diagnostics technique
Restoring in the third
century
46 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
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Bibliography
Brief reference list on Sala delle Asse.
Carlo Catturini, Dopo Leonardo: la Sala delle Asse al tempo di Francesco II Sforza e Cristina di Danimarca,
«Rassegna di Studi e di Notizie», XXXVIII, 2016, pp. 15-30.
Michela Palazzo, Il disegno preparatorio della pittura murale della Sala delle Asse. Alcune note sul
suo rinvenimento a fine Ottocento, «Rassegna di Studi e di Notizie», XXXVII, 2014-2015, pp. 13-32.
Silvia Paoli, La Sala delle Asse. Fotografia e memoria fra le trame di un archivio, «Rassegna di Studi
e di Notizie», XXXVI, 2013, pp. 207-224.
Carlo Catturini, La Sala delle Asse di Luca Beltrami: alcune novità documentarie sull’attività di
Ernesto Rusca decoratore e restauratore, con qualche nota sull’allestimento di questo ambiente
nella prima metà del Novecento, «Rassegna di Studi e di Notizie», XXXVI, 2013, pp. 63-76
Carlo Catturini, Leonardo da Vinci nel Castello Sforzesco di Milano: una citazione di Luca Pacioli per
la “Sala delle Asse” ovvero la “camera dei moroni”, «Prospettiva», 147-148, luglio-ottobre 2012,
pp. 159-166.
Alessandro Ballarin, Leonardo a Milano. Problemi di leonardismo milanese tra Quattrocento e
Cinquecento. Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio prima della Pala Casio, 4 voll., Verona 2010
Maria Teresa Fiorio, Anna Lucchini, Nella Sala delle Asse sulle tracce di Leonardo, «Raccolta
Vinciana», fasc. XXXII, 2007, pp. 101-140
Patrizia Costa, The Sala delle Asse in the Sforza Castle in Milan, tesi Ph.D. Pittsburgh University,
Pittsburgh 2006
d-scholarship.pitt.edu/6590
Maria Teresa Fiorio, “Infra le fessure delle pietre”: la Sala delle Asse al Castello Sforzesco, in Il
codice di Leonardo da Vinci nel Castello Sforzesco, a cura di P. C. Marani, G. Piazza, Milano 2006,
pp. 21-29
Maria Teresa Fiorio, “Tutto mi piace”: Leonardo e il castello, in Il Castello Sforzesco di Milano, a
cura di M. T. Fiorio, Milano 2005, pp. 163-190
Marco Albertario, Documenti per la decorazione del Castello di Milano nell’età di Galeazzo Maria
Sforza (1466-1476), «Solchi», VII, n. 1-2, settembre 2003, pp. 19-61
Patrizia Costa, La Sala delle Asse di Luca Beltrami, «Archivio Storico Lombardo», vol. VII, 2001, pp.
195-217
47 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Edoardo Villata (a cura di), Leonardo da Vinci. I documenti e le testimonianze contemporanee,
Milano 1999
bibdig.museogalileo.it/Teca/Viewer?an=000000970077
Pietro C. Marani, Leonardo. Una carriera di pittore, Milano 1999
Luisa Giordano (a cura di), Ludovicus Dux, Vigevano 1995
Pietro C. Marani, Leonardo e le colonne “ad tronchonos”: tracce di un programma iconologico per
Ludovico il Moro, «Raccolta Vinciana», fasc. XXI, 1982, pp. 103-120
bibdig.museogalileo.it/Teca/Viewer?an=000000968881
Marco Rosci, La Sala delle Asse, in Leonardo. La pittura, Firenze 1977, pp. 115-125 (ed. cons.
Firenze 1997)
Anna Maria Brizio, Leonardo pittore, in Leonardo, a cura di L. Reti , Milano 1974, pp. 20-55
Edouard Monod Herzen, Leonard de Vinci. Le problème de la Sala delle Asse à Milan, «Revue
d’Estétique», aprile-giugno 1962, pp. 113-137
Joseph Gantner, Les fragments récemment découverts d’une fresque de Léonard de Vinci au
Chateau de Milan, «Gazette des beaux-arts», gennaio 1959, pp. 27-34
Costantino Baroni, Tracce pittoriche leonardesche recuperate al Castello Sforzesco di Milano,
«Istituto Lombardo di Scienze e Lettere. Rendiconti», vol. LXXXVIII, fascc. I-II, 1955, pp. 21-32
Luca Beltrami, Documenti e memorie riguardanti la vita di Leonardo da Vinci. In ordine
cronologico, Milano 1919
bibdig.museogalileo.it/Teca/Viewer?an=000000328691
Luca Beltrami, Leonardo da Vinci e la Sala delle “Asse” nel Castello di Milano, Milano 1902
Luca Beltrami, Il Castello di Milano (Castrum Portae Jovis) sotto il dominio dei Visconti e degli
Sforza. MCCCLVIII-MDXXXV, Milano 1894
Luca Beltrami, Il Castello di Milano sotto il dominio degli Sforza, MCCCCL-MDXXXV, Milano 1885
48 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
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Actors
Municipality of Milan – Culture Office
Through the mayor, the Assessorato alla Cultura and its museums, the Municipality of Milan is the principal commissioner of the restoration of the Sala delle Asse. The purpose of the project is not only the restoration of the artwork, but also to carry out a detailed study with the aim of identifying the different stages and determining what remains of Leonardo’s original work.
The restoration project is part of the “Patto per Milano”,
an agreement between the Municipality of Milan and the
Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, and is also one
of the initiatives to be undertaken as preparation for the
EXPO 2015 event, which will feature Leonardo as its
leading symbol.
www.comune.milano.it
Palazzo Marino - Milan
49 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
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The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism
The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism will play an important role in the restoration of the Sala delle Asse. Involved in the project by the Municipality of Milan since the start, it has provided funds to start the restoration work on the basis of the preliminary project carried out by the Direzione Regionale per i Beni Culturali e Paesaggistici della Lombardia and the Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e per il Paesaggio di Milano.
The Ministry – represented by the Direzione Regionale, the Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici, the Soprintendenza per i Beni Storici, Artistici ed Etnoantropologici di Milano, and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence – has also defined the project relating to Leonardo’s preparatory “Monochrome” design on the walls (currently the most deteriorated part) and established study facilities for analysis of the paintings on the ceiling and in the lunettes.
The involvement of the Ministry has enabled a scientific approach to be taken to the works, including a complex series of preliminary scientific investigations as part of a diagnostics project implemented in cooperation with the Politecnico di Milano, the CNR-ICVBC, and the Imaging Department of the Centro Conservazione e Restauro La Venaria Reale. The diagnostics project is gradually revealing the state of the paintings, the causes of their deterioration and the actions required to halt the damage, and identification of the procedures to follow.
www.beniculturali.it
Sforza Castle - Parco Sempione
50 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
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Opificio delle Pietre Dure
The Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence provides vital consultancy work on the execution of the preliminary diagnostic and investigative procedures, and the finalisation of the plan for restoration of the mural paintings by Leonardo da Vinci in the Sala delle Asse.
The Opificio delle Pietre Dure was established as a national institution in 1975, when it combined two organisations that had long been active in the production and conservation of art in Florence: the long-established and renowned Opificio, founded in 1588 as a court manufactory and then turned into a restoration centre at the end of nineteenth century, and the Laboratorio di Restauro, which was created as part of the Soprintendenza in 1932, and later transferred to the new offices in Fortezza da Basso following the floods in Florence in 1966, where it has since greatly grown.
At present, Opificio is one of the main institutions in the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism. It operates in three main fields: conservation, through 11 specialist offices and their approximately 60 restorers; research, both theoretical and applied to specific restoration cases, organised around the scientific laboratory; education, through the Scuola di Alta Formazione and several internship programmes run in cooperation with similar institutions in Italy and abroad.
www.opificiodellepietredure.it
Ultraviolet fluorescence
51 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
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A2A
In cooperation with the Municipality of Milan and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, A2A offers support to the Sala delle Asse restoration project at Sforza Castle in Milan through generous funding that will take the work to its completion.
A2A is a multi-utility organisation in Lombardy that operates at the highest levels in all the sectors it works in (energy, networks, heating, environment). A2A plays an active role in the territories in which it operates, supporting different kind of projects and activities, ranging from culture to the arts, environmental issues and sports.
A2A decided to contribute to the restoration works of the Sala delle Asse due to the great value that Leonardo’s Monochrome represents, not just to the city of Milan and region of Lombardy, but to the world, especially in view of Expo 2015.
Sforza Castle has frequently been the focus of A2A’s attention, which it considers a major asset to the Lombardy region. During the 1980s the company AEM – one of the parent companies, with ASM, of A2A – funded the restoration of some 300 objects from the Romanesque period in Lombardy, which had been packed away in various storerooms. Another project A2A has been involved in are the many improvements made to the external lighting of Sforza Castle, which have combined aesthetic appearance with respect for the monument’s history, and the night-time safety of the city’s inhabitants and visitors.
www.a2a.eu
Sforza Castle
52 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
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ARCUS
ARCUS S.p.A. is a company involved in art, culture, and show business and was founded in 2004 by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism. It is another important contributor to the restoration works of the Sala delle Asse.
Arcus’s stated mission is to support and launch projects related to cultural heritage and activities, taking into consideration their connection with infrastructures. Its ultimate goal is to transform the cultural heritage from being considered something passive, “to be looked at”, into something active, a tool for development.
Providing support to projects means identifying interesting and innovative initiatives in the Italian cultural landscape, assisting in the planning stages, offering organisational and technical support, participating with funding where appropriate or necessary, tracking project progress, and doing what it can to ensure a successful outcome.
Arcus also takes an active role in searching out potential stakeholders and has the aim of coordinating all those activities required to promote and support a project, and to identify and attract further funding for initiatives whose objective is to improve cultural assets and activities within a framework of conservation, appreciation and development.
www.arcusonline.org
Restorers at work
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Institutional and scientific partner
Annette T. Keller – Art-imaging
Centro Conservazione e Restauro La Venaria Reale
CNR – Institute for the Conservation and Valorization of Cultural Heritage
Culturanuova s.r.l.
Hal 9000 s.r.l. – Haltadefinizione®
Mauro Ranzani
Opificio delle Pietre Dure – Scientific laboratory
Politecnico di Milano
Hoc Lab CBC – Cultural Heritage Centre
Profilocolore s.r.l.
Università di Verona – Dipartimento di Fisica applicata
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On the Job
Restoration credits
Contracting authorities Municipality of Milan – Culture Management
Council member: Filippo Del Corno
Director: Giulia Amato
Director of the Soprintendenza Castello, Musei Archeologici e Musei Storici: Claudio A. M. Salsi
- Administrative office: Renato Rossetti, Piera Briani - Curator of Sforza Castle Art Archives: Francesca Tasso
Director of the Settore Valorizzazione Patrimonio Artistico e Sviluppo Servizi and Responsabile Unico del Procedimento: Laura Galimberti
- Assistant to the Responsabile Unico del Procedimento – Settore Soprintendenza Castello: Giorgio Sebastiano Di Mauro
Restoration Project
Direzione Regionale per i Beni Culturali e Paesaggistici della Lombardia Michela Palazzo, Restorer and Curator
Opificio delle Pietre Dure di Florence Marco Ciatti, Superintendent Cecilia Frosinini, Art Historian – Director of the Department of the Restoration of Mural Paintings
Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e Paesaggistici di Milano Alberto Artioli, Superintendent
Soprintendenza per i Beni Storici, Artistici ed Etnoantropologici di Milano Sandrina Bandera, Superintendent
Soprintendenza Castello, Musei Archeologici e Musei Storici del Comune di Milano Claudio A.M. Salsi, Director
Direction of the restoration works Direzione Regionale per i Beni Culturali e Paesaggistici della Lombardia
Michela Palazzo, Restorer and Curator
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Executor of the restoration works Direction of the restoration works: Cecilia Frosinini, Art Historian – Director of the
Department of the Restoration of Mural Paintings Restorers: Fabrizio Bandini, Alberto Felici, Maria Rosa Lanfranchi, Paola Ilaria Mariotti
Operation management
Opificio delle Pietre Dure di Florence – Restoration Department of the Restoration of Mural Paintings Fabrizio Bandini, Technical Director
Soprintendenza per i Beni Storici, Artistici ed Etnoantropologici di Milano Andrea Carini, Restorer
Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e Paesaggistici di Milano Gianpiero Bonnet, Technology Officer
Sponsor A2A Spa Arcus Spa
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Scientific commitee
Claudio A. M. Salsi, Director of the Settore Soprintendenza Castello, Musei Archeologici e Musei Storici (chairman)
Francesca Tasso, Director of the Art Archives – Curator of the Museums of the Applied Arts and Musical Instruments of Sforza Castle (vice-president of the scientific committee)
Michela Palazzo, Restorer at the Direzione Regionale per i Beni Culturali e Paesaggistici della Lombardia (works supervisor of the restoration)
Giovanni Agosti, Professor of Modern Art History at the Università degli Studi di Milano Ermanno Arslan, Academician at the Accademia dei Lincei, and member of the Board of
Directors of Italia Nostra Milano Alberto Artioli, Soprintendente per i Beni Architettonici e Paesaggistici di Milano Sandrina Bandera, Soprintendente per i Beni Storici, Artistici ed Etnoantropologici di Milano Fabrizio Bandini, Technical Director of the Department of the Restoration of Mural Paintings at
Opificio delle Pietre Dure di Firenze Caterina Bon Valsassina, Regional Director of the Beni Culturali e Paesaggistici della Lombardia Marco Ciatti, Superintendent of Opificio delle Pietre Dure di Firenze Luisa Cogliati Arano, Member of the managing Board of Ente Raccolta Vinciana of Milano Alberto Felici, Curator in the Department for the Restoration of Mural Paintings at Opificio delle
Pietre Dure di Firenze Maria Teresa Fiorio, Vice-president of Ente Raccolta Vinciana of Milan, Professor of Museum
Studies at the Università degli Studi di Milano Cecilia Frosinini, Art Historian– Director of the Department of the Restoration of Mural
Paintings at Opificio delle Pietre Dure di Firenze Larry Keith, Director of Conservation, National Gallery of London Pietro Marani, President of Ente Raccolta Vinciana, Professor of Modern Art History at the
Politecnico di Milano Antonio Paolucci, Director of the Vatican Museums Francesca Rossi, Responsible of Drawing Collection of Sforza Castle – Curator Alessandro Rovetta, Professor of Modern Art History at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano Luke Syson, Curator in Charge of the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at
the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York
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At work
Claudio Antonio Marco Salsi: president of the scientific committee for the restoration
Director of the Department for the Superintendence of the Castle, Archeological Museums, and Historical Museums
Claudio Antonio Marco Salsi holds a historical and artistic education. He is specialized in History of ancient and modern engraving arts. He is the author of several publications on graphics, applied arts, iconography, and museography. Since 2007 he has taught at Università Cattolica di Milano for the course of “History of design, incision and graphics”. He has made possible the refitting of the collections of Sforza Castle, besides the salvage of the furniture of Palazzo Reale in Milan. He is partner of Ente Raccolta Vinciana, memebr of the board of directors of ANMLI Associazione Nazionale Musei Locali e Istituzionali (National Association of Local and Institutional Museums). He is also member of the board of directors of ICOM Italia for the 3-year period 2013-2015.
Francesca Tasso: vice-president of the scientific committee for the restoration
Keeper Responsible for Artistic Archives –– Applied Arts and Musical Instruments of the Castle
Graduated in Letters, she is specialized in history of art and minor arts. She has obtained a PhD in Turin, with a thesis on the sculpture in the late gothic art in Milan at the age of Gian Galeazzo Visconti (1380-1402). Since 2000 she has been responsible for the artistic archives –– Applied Arts and Musical Instruments of the Castle. Since 2009 she has coordinated the Archives at Sforza Castle.
She has taught History of medieval art, and History of modern art. Her studies namely concern the late Gothic sculpture, and the museum collection in the city of Milan.
Michela Palazzo: director for the restoration works
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Official Restorer and Keeper for the Regional Department for Architectural and Landscape Heritage Heritage of Lombardy
Graduated at Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro of Rome (Conservation and Restoration High School), she holds a degree and a specialization degree in History of Medieval and Modern Art. Since 1991 she works for the Department for the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism. She has performed several restoration interventions in very important sites such as the ruins of Pompeii, the Roman Forum, Paestum and the grave of Tuffatore, Palazzo Te in Mantua, San Zeno in Verona, the cloister of Duomo of Cefalù, il Quirinale in Rome, Sala delle Cariatidi at Palazzo Reale in Milano, the late medieval plasters at Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Lomello, among other interventions on moving works of art.
Cecilia Frosinini: Director of the works at Sala delle Asse - Opificio delle Pietre Dure
Official and Art Historian – Director for the Restoration Department of the Mural Painting of Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence
Graduated in Letters, she has obtained a specialization in History of Art at the University of Florence. Since 1990, she has worked as an official and art historian at Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Since 2008, she has been Director for the Restoration Department of the Mural Painting. Among her works are: the cycle of frescos of Leggenda della Croce by Agnolo Gaddi, at Cappella Maggiore di Santa Croce of Firenze; the cycle of Stigmate Bardi by Giotto and of Assunzione by Maestro of Figline, always in Santa Croce. She has coordinated the research and diagnostics works of Cappelle Bardi and Peruzzi by Giotto, funded by Getty Foundation. At present, she is instructor in Diagnostics at University of Florence, at of History of Art Specialization School. She has obtained a fellowship and a professorship at CASVA Washington DC, in 2012 and 2013.
Paola Ilaria Mariotti: restorer
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Official Restorer and Keeper for the Department of Restoration of mural Paintings at Opificio delle Pietre Dure (Plant of hard stones) of Florence
Since 2001 she has worked as a restorer at Opificio delle Pietre Dure. She also teaches at Scuola di Alta Formazione (Higher Education School) and cooperates for study projects, diagnostics projects, experimental works, aimed at the restoration of mural paintings. Among her restoration works are: the cylce of Sale dei Pianeti, realized by Pietro da Cortona at Palazzo Pitti in Firenze, the cylce of Giotto in Cappella della Maddalena at Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Firenze, Cappella Maggiore painted by Agnolo Gaddi in Santa Croce in Florence, Stimmate di San Francesco realized by Giotto above the entrance arch of Cappella Bardi in Santa Croce in Florence, and the paintings by Masaccio and Masolino at Cappella Brancacci in Florence.
Alberto Felici: restorer
Official Restorer and Keeper for the Department of Restoration of mural paintings at Opificio delle Pietre Dure (Plant of hard stones) of Florence
Since 2001 he has worked as a restorer at Opificio delle Pietre Dure, and he also performs some teching activities both on the intervention techniques, and the decline of the mural paintings at the school of Opificio. He was in charge for the restauration of the mural paintings by Niccolò dell’Abate in Scandiano, Cappella della Maddalena by Giotto in Bargello, the plasters of Capilla des animes of Santiago de Compostela, Sale di Giove, Saturno and Marte at Palazzo Pitti, the frescos by Pordenone in Duomo di Cremona, besides the frescos by Giulio Romano in Palazzo Ducale in Mantua. At present, he is working at the restoration of Cappella Maggiore by Agnolo Gaddi in Santa Croce, besides the mural paintings of Chiostro Verde of Santa Maria Novella by Paolo Uccello.
Fabrizio Bandini: restorer
Technical Manager for the Branch of the Restoration of
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Talk with us
mural paintings at Opificio delle Pietre Dure di Firenze
Graduated at Magistero d’Arte, he has been a restorer since 1983, at Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence. Among his restoration works are: the plasters by Donatello in the Sagrestia Vecchia of San Lorenzo in Florence, the mural paintings by Benozzo Gozzoli in the Cappella dei Magi at Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence, the frescos Storie della Vera Croce by Piero della Francesca in the Church of San Francesco in Arezzo, the mural decorations and plasters by Pietro da Cortona in Sale dei Pianeti at Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and Trinità painted by Masaccio in the cathedral of Santa Maria Novella in Florence.
Maria Rosa Lanfranchi: restorer
Official Restorer and Director for the Branch of Restoration of mural paintings at Opificio delle Pietre Dure (Plant of hard stones) of Florence
Since 1992 she has worked as a restorer at Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence, where she also teaches implementation techniques, decline and intervention methodologies of mural paintings and plasters at Scuola di Alta Formazione (Higher Education School). Among her works are: the cycle of Storie della Vera Croce painted by Piero della Francesca in Arezzo; Storie di Diana e Atteone by Parmigianino in the fortress of Fontanellato; Trinità painted by Masaccio in the church of S. Maria Novella in Florence; the lunettes of Sala del Paradiso by Niccolò dell’Abate in Scandiano; the decoration of Cappella della Maddalena by Giotto at Bargello in Florence; the plasters and the paintings in the rooms di Giove e Saturno at Palazzo Pitti in Florence; Stimmate di san Francesco by Giotto in the church of Santa Croce. She is currently working at the restoration of Storie della Vera Croce by Agnolo Gaddi, at Cappella Maggiore di Santa Croce.
61 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Map
How to reach Sforza Castle: Underground: MM1 Cadorna, Cairoli - MM2 Cadorna, Lanza Buses: 18,50,37,58,61,94 Trams: 1,2,4,12,14,19
62 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Visits
Sala delle Asse (room VIII of Museo d’Arte Antica) was reopened to the public Tuesday, April 28. During the hole duration of ExpoinCittà a multimedia narrative will animate and illustrate the room and the story of its restoration. Opening hours: Tuesday through Sunday 9.00 a.m.– 7.30 p.m. (admission until 7 p.m.) Ticket office: tel. 02/88463703 Close on Mondays (holidays included) Closed on: December 25, January 1, May 1, Easter Monday. Sforza Castle: Opening hours: open daily 7.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. (standard time) | 7.00 a.m. – 7.30 p.m. (daylight saving) Thursday until 22.30 Free admission (except for castle museums)
63 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Contacts and Press
Press kit
For Press kit or further information requests:
Press Kit on 23.10.2013
Press Kit on 18.02.2015
Press Review Press Review on 23.10.2013 Video Download from the Homepage of the website of Comune di Milano (23.10.2013) www.youtube.com/embed/HYL8bfJMUaE www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUGIun-eXpo#t=36
Sforza Castle
64 Sala delle Asse. The restoration
Leonardo da Vinci painter at the Castle in Milan http://saladelleassecastello.it/
Credits
The website has been developed by HOC-LAB of Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of Politecnico di Milano (hoc.elet.polimi.it), in cooperation with Sforza Castle.
Politecnico di Milano Coordination: Paolo Paolini Editorial staff: Nicoletta Di Blas, Elena Maccari, Diletta Apollonio Implementation: Andrea Coledan, Diego Peruselli, Matteo Garza, Francesco Clasadonte
Sforza Castle Coordination: Francesca Tasso Gathering, elaboration and archiving of documents: Ilaria De Palma Image credits Archivio Storico Civico e Biblioteca Trivulziana – copyright
Comune di Milano – all rights reserved Civico Archivio Fotografico di Milano – copyright Comune di
Milano – all rights reserved Fondazione Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria
Reale” – Laboratory Imaging: Elena Biondi, Alessandro Bovero, Paolo Triolo with the collaboration of 3D Target srl, Brescia
Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence: Alfredo Aldrovandi, Annette T. Keller
Politecnico di Milano, Laboratorio sperimentale ABC: Elke Di Flumeri
Raccolta delle Stampe “Achille Bertarelli” – copyright Comune di Milano – all rights reserved
Diego Peruselli Mauro Ranzani Saporetti Immagini d’Arte Luca Tosi Wikimedia Commons Wikipedia
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