Educational project
Pesaro, Villa Imperiale (pitture murali)
SUPSI Image Focus
The didactic worksite on the 16th-century wall paintings of the Villa Imperiale in Pesaro was a collaboration between the Master in Conservation and Restoration at SUPSI and the MA in Conservation of Wall Paintings at the Courtauld Institute of Arts. Students, guided by teachers and researchers from both institutions, participated in the project.
The Villa Imperiale, originally built by Alessandro Sforza in the 15th century, was transformed in the 16th century by the Della Rovere family, Dukes of Urbino and Pesaro, after their return from exile and the regaining of their duchy. Under the direction of architect, artist, and scenographer Girolamo Genga, major works included the creation of a new wing that opened onto panoramic terraced gardens and the painted decorations in eight rooms of the piano nobile of the Sforza wing. Among the notable artists involved in the decorations were Rafaellino del Colle, Francesco Menzocchi, Agnolo Bronzino, Dosso and Battista Dossi, and Camillo Mantovano. The Villa Imperiale stands as one of the principal examples of an Italian Renaissance villa in the region and a testament to the work of Girolamo Genga as an architect.
The Villa Imperiale, originally built by Alessandro Sforza in the 15th century, was transformed in the 16th century by the Della Rovere family, Dukes of Urbino and Pesaro, after their return from exile and the regaining of their duchy. Under the direction of architect, artist, and scenographer Girolamo Genga, major works included the creation of a new wing that opened onto panoramic terraced gardens and the painted decorations in eight rooms of the piano nobile of the Sforza wing. Among the notable artists involved in the decorations were Rafaellino del Colle, Francesco Menzocchi, Agnolo Bronzino, Dosso and Battista Dossi, and Camillo Mantovano. The Villa Imperiale stands as one of the principal examples of an Italian Renaissance villa in the region and a testament to the work of Girolamo Genga as an architect.
After the initial survey of the eight painted rooms in the Sforza wing of the Villa Imperiale to assess their condition, two rooms were selected for in-depth study: the Sala del Giuramento and the Sala della Calunnia, respectively the first and last rooms of the painted cycle. The original technique of the paintings, past restoration interventions, and their current condition were observed, documented, and assessed. This was complemented using non-invasive methodologies such as environmental monitoring, multispectral photography, XRF (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy), portable FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), and thermography.
The main conservation issues affecting the paint layer were flaking and micro-pustules, both active phenomena leading to the progressive loss of the paintings. Possible causes of these issues were identified as a combination of factors: aspects of the original technique, treatments applied during previous restoration interventions (such as the presence of film-forming materials on the surface and soluble salts on the walls), and fluctuations in the climate conditions of the rooms. One of the main challenges in studying and treating the wall paintings was the extensive presence of diverse pictorial reintegration carried out during previous interventions, which made it difficult to interpret the surfaces.
Based on the information gathered during the survey, a methodology for stabilizing the paint layer and partially removing the film-forming materials from past interventions was developed and applied to stabilize areas at risk of further damage.
The next phase of work will take place in the autumn of 2024. The progression of deterioration phenomena and treatment trials will be monitored, and data from year-long environmental monitoring will be analyzed. These new findings will help further illuminate the causes of the deterioration and the effectiveness of the remedial treatments, leading to sustainable conservation measures.
The main conservation issues affecting the paint layer were flaking and micro-pustules, both active phenomena leading to the progressive loss of the paintings. Possible causes of these issues were identified as a combination of factors: aspects of the original technique, treatments applied during previous restoration interventions (such as the presence of film-forming materials on the surface and soluble salts on the walls), and fluctuations in the climate conditions of the rooms. One of the main challenges in studying and treating the wall paintings was the extensive presence of diverse pictorial reintegration carried out during previous interventions, which made it difficult to interpret the surfaces.
Based on the information gathered during the survey, a methodology for stabilizing the paint layer and partially removing the film-forming materials from past interventions was developed and applied to stabilize areas at risk of further damage.
The next phase of work will take place in the autumn of 2024. The progression of deterioration phenomena and treatment trials will be monitored, and data from year-long environmental monitoring will be analyzed. These new findings will help further illuminate the causes of the deterioration and the effectiveness of the remedial treatments, leading to sustainable conservation measures.