The Duke’s Apartment, on the piano nobile of the Ducal Palace in Urbino, home of the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, reopened on May 30 after plant upgrades, restoration and rearrangement work. But above all, after two years of study and research and seven months of redevelopment work, the famous Studiolo del Duca has become viable again, thanks to a delicate and demanding restoration work that has restored the original and homogeneous appearance of the work. The intervention restored the link between the portraits of the illustrious men and the wooden walls, removing the 19th-century additions and restoring the colors as close as possible to the original ones.
Today the Studiolo looks renovated: in addition to the 14 original portraits of famous men, hi-tech reproductions of the other 14 that are currently in the Louvre Museum have also been placed. This was made possible thanks to a collaboration with the Parisian museum, which made available high-resolution photographs of the missing works, thus making it possible to reconstruct the Studiolo’s original appearance as Federico da Montefeltro had imagined it, before the alterations made by the Barberini, who had removed some parts of it, altering its 15th-century unity.
Therestoration work also led to the rediscovery of two important elements of the period: the Duke’s latrine, located in the small room adjacent to the Studiolo, which has been restored in its complete configuration, and the sumptuous washbasin, dismantled in the 19th century when the palace became the seat of the Prefecture, and later relocated in an inconsistent manner in the 20th century. Pasquale Rotondi himself did not realize that some of the stone fragments actually belonged to a single large structure that has been recognized thanks to archival documents and, in particular, the accurate views of Romolo Liverani. Now this precious element of the original furnishings has been reassembled in the Duke’s bedroom, contributing, together with the Studiolo, to restore the original appearance of this essential part of the apartment within the Ducal Palace.
Finally, inside the rooms of the Duke’s Apartment will find a place for some of the most emblematic works of the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, such as the famous Ideal City, the Double Portrait of Federico and Guidobaldo by Pedro Berruguete, the predella with the Miracle of the Host by Paolo Uccello and the Communion of Apostles by Giusto di Gand.
Also present at the reopening ceremony of Federico da Montefeltro ’s Studiolo was Marche Region President Francesco Acquaroli, who commented, "It is with great pleasure to find ourselves today at the inauguration of Federico da Montefeltro’s Studiolo, one of the most representative and evocative rooms of the Ducal Palace of Urbino, a precious treasure chest of so many treasures of art and culture, the heritage of our region and of humanity, of which we are all proud. I express appreciation for the redevelopment works conducted with skill and expertise, the result of careful studies that return not only to our regional community but to the entire world this space of extreme beauty.
The interventions carried out,“ the president continued, ”also represent the good result that comes from the fruitful collaboration between the institutions and the entities in charge. But not only that, this reopening, with the intrinsic value that culture brings, also represents an important opportunity to make the Marche region known outside the regional borders, as well as an opportunity for development and growth for tourism and the economy. The data confirm the good performance of the tourism sector, which marks +28% of foreign tourism in recent years, thanks in part to focusing on seasonal adjustment. Tourism related to art and culture is along this path responding to these goals. The beauty of our artistic heritage, combined with that of the landscape, the climate and the hospitality of our people succeed in creating economy and giving vitality to our inland areas. We are therefore convinced that this event will always attract new visitors to our region, generating a positive impact on the local economy and helping to promote the image of Le Marche as a cultural destination of excellence."
|
|
| Urbino's Ducal Palace, Duke's Studiolo reopened, restored and rebuilt to its original appearance |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
