the princely palace of Monaco regains its shine and its 19th century frescoes

Seen from the cliff, a single glance can take in the principality of monaco. A micro-state of 2 kilometers famous for casinos, its beautiful cars and its princely palace. It will now be necessary to add to this the discovery of 600 m2 of Renaissance frescoes. It all starts in the courtyard of the palace, under a vault. A 16th century decor in bright colors can be seen, a stone’s throw from the apartments of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. “It’s a completely exceptional result, but it’s not over, there are still a lot of things to do, a lot of things to restore, and perhaps to discover”says HSH Albert II.

In 2015, it was a simple restoration of the paintings, dating from the 19th century. It is under several successive layers of color that the craftsmen discovered the frescoes. Eight years later, they are still working there. “It’s a very meticulous job, (…) we take our time not to damage the fresco”, explains Jane Marshall, restaurateur. High technology was also used for the construction site. Conservators have even perfected a new laser cleaning technique. Why had the frescoes been covered? After the Revolution, the castle was transformed into a hospital, then gradually abandoned. It was then taken over by Charles III, the ancestor of Prince Albert, who restored the palace to the taste of his time.