The Palace of Monaco unveils its original Renaissance decorations – July 10, 2022
Since last July 1 and until next October 15, the Palace of Monaco opens its doors to the public to show the Renaissance frescoes rediscovered in 2015.
It was during a campaign to restore the paintings in the courtyard of the palace that the restorers came across, behind a thick layer of paint, stains of colors that seemed older. They scratched a little. And they uncovered a small part of a large decor that covers the vault of a gallery along the courtyard. A painter, commissioned by Prince Charles III of Monaco (1818-1899), completely covered it in the 19th century. “He covered everything that was frescoed”indicates Christian Gautier, head of heritage rehabilitation operations at the Prince’s Palace of Monaco.
To reveal all this decor without damaging it, the restorers took many years. “It’s meticulous work”explains conservator Jane Marshall. “We scratch centimeter after centimeter to free the sofas with a scalpel”, specifies Christian Gautier. 75% of the fresco could be unveiled. The rest was combined with pigments or left blank.
For now, we do not know who is the author of these frescoes. “On a single bundle of presumption”, says Christian Gautier. We also do not know when, precisely, they were made. But what they represent is typical of what could be found in the main residences of the Renaissance in France and Italy. On approximately 600 m2 unfold the twelve labors of Hercules. Similarly, their painting technique, called affresco, which consisted of depositing pigments on a fresh coating to preserve them well, was common at the time.
Also open to the public, the Grands Appartements of the palace present other old decors recently rediscovered. In particular those of the Salon Matignon and the Salle du Trône.
This is ” extraordinary “enthuses Prince Albert of Monaco. “You can make these discoveries in a palace where you thought you knew all the treasures that were hidden there. It is a wonder. »