The Vatican presented the completed restoration of Raphael’s last and most significant room – the fresco hall in the Apostolic Palace. About this reportedAR agency.
The restoration of the largest of Raphael’s four rooms lasted ten years and revealed a new technique of wall painting that the master had begun but not completed. It involves the use of oil paints directly on the wall and the nail mesh that held the resin coating for painting. This was said by representatives of the Vatican Museums during the opening of the Constantine Hall, when the dismantling of the scaffolding was completed.
This solemn hall, which Raphael and his students began to decorate at the beginning of the 16th century, is dedicated to Emperor Constantine of the 4th century, who contributed to the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
“Thanks to this restoration, we are rewriting part of art history,” – explained the director of the Vatican Museums, Barbara Yatta.
In 1508, Pope Julius II invited 25-year-old Raphael Santi from Florence to Rome to design new private apartments in the palace. Even during the artist’s lifetime, there were mentions that he sought to create a wall painting not with frescoes, but with oil, in order to emphasize the brightness of the images. Now, thanks to the restoration, these assumptions have been confirmed.
The last stage of the restoration of the room was the renovation of the ceiling, which was painted by Tommaso Lauretti. It stands out as an impressive example of the Renaissance perspective, in particular the fresco of the simulated tapestry “Triumph of Christianity over Paganism”.
