2013
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.
DECEMBER 2013
Interview: Francesca Tasso explains how the memory of such a splendid work by Leonardo had been lost for centuries
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-ICVBC completes a field survey using the fluorescence X rays portable analyzer
The fluorescence X analysis on the paint layers provides information on the utilized materials
NOVEMBER 2013
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
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
Il montaggio del ponteggio è terminato
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
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…
Altre tracce di disegno sulla parete ovest
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
SEPTEMBER 2013
The outcomes of the research will be published on the short run and made public by October
After 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 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 works at the website content
The Hoc-Lab staff attends a meeting with Francesca Tasso
Professor Paolo Paolini defines the information architecture of the website
AUGUST 2013 – ON HOLIDAYS
JULY 2013
In July 2013 the equipment by Centro Conservazione and Restauro La Venaria Reale are installed
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 allows the restorers to launch the pilot-project on the monochrome
The scaffolding allows the restorers to reach a 5 meters-high surface
The restorers perform some assays by removing some layers of plaster from the western wall
I restauratori eseguono dei saggi rimuovendo strati di intonaco dalla parete ovest
3 July 2013: meeting of the scientific committee
The scientific committee visits Sala delle Asse
The scientific committee discusses about the restoration
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 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 dating back to the Fifties’ restoration
In February 2011 the removal of the boiserie starts and ad hoc supporting structures are assembled in the room
The removal works keep going for 2 weeks
Once the boiserie is removed, a door emerges, visible through the reliefs of the room by Beltrami
The boards of walnut wood were anchored to the wall by nailed iron dowels
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 2006 the diagnostics surveys start, performed by OPD, in cooperation with Italia Nostra
The monochrome is photographed at visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared light
The analyses by 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 surfaces
Haltadefinizione® performs the relief of the monochrome drawing through the UV light reflected