The Historical Wing, the New Wing and the Old Chapel

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In early 2012, the Cosso Foundation conducted a series of stratigraphic surveys in an effort to locate traces of the original decorative scheme in the Historical Wing of the castle, as the walls had unfortunately been completely painted over with yellow acrylic paint in the 1990s. Most of the restoration work involved a “dry” removal technique in which the newer layers of paint were carefully detached from the frescoes by hand with a scalpel.

The harmonious decorative scheme that emerged across all the historical halls dates to the end of the eighteenth century and so predates the neo-Gothic restyling of the castle. The rooms feature vaulted ceilings with delicate floral motifs on a white-washed base and matching contemporary doors. Unfortunately, the original painted panels of the overdoor sections were stolen during the years the castle lay neglected and have been lost. In keeping with the fashion of the age, the wainscoting in each room is different, matching the colors and decorative elements of the ceiling. From the wainscoting up to the ceiling, the walls are bare as they were probably lined with hand-painted wallpaper.

This wing is the mirror image of the “New” Wing, which in all likelihood was once similarly adorned. Today, the wing has been renovated, but remains bare, as all the original features were lost in the repurposing of the premises in the 1970s, when the halls were converted into a long series of bathrooms. Only the original layout and size of the rooms could be reinstated during restoration work in 2012.

The conservative approach to restoration is clearly exemplified here by observing the doors. The original doors are those with small stratigraphic patches, revealing the different layers of colors over the years, chosen to match the fresco paintings. The door to the adjoining room in the New Wing was instead made for us by a craftsman. Made of linden wood, it is of the same size and features the same trims as the originals, but it has been left “plain” to show that it is not the original, while harmoniously completing the room.