The Hall of the Labors of Hercules at the Palazzo Venezia restored and open again

The ceiling and fresco frieze of the Hall of the Labors of Hercules inside Palazzo Venezia in Rome have been restored.

The Hall located on the piano nobile of the Palace in the apartment of Venetian Cardinal Pietro Barbo, who later became Pope Paul II, the founder of the building, is wonderfully decorated in fresco: the frieze in the upper part depicts with the effect of trompe-l’oeil a twelve-arched loggia, four with fountains and cupids, the other eight with the Labors of Hercules. Thus, Hercules and the Nemean lion, Hercules and Antheus, Hercules and the oxen of Geryon, Hercules and Geryon, Hercules and the dragon Ladon, Hercules and the hind of Cerinea, Hercules and the birds of Stymphalus, and Hercules and the centaur Nessus are depicted. The author of the frescoes still remains anonymous, but his cultural background can perhaps be traced to the sphere of Andrea Mantegna.

With the restoration completed, the dirt deposit, old surface paints and extensive repainting of the blue backgrounds of the scenes depicted inside the faux loggia were removed; the color balance was thus recovered and the idea of the faux open loggia of Albertian derivation was restored.

The interventions were taken care of in the scientific part by Sonia Martone, director of Palazzo Venezia, and Paolo Castellani, both officials of the Polo Museale del Lazio; while Rita Ciardi and Isabella Righetti of"L’Officina," a consortium for the restoration and conservation of works of art, were responsible for the physical realization of the intervention.
The restoration was made possible thanks to funding from the Silvano Toti Foundation through a liberal donation.

The public will once again be able to admire the Hall of the Labia of Hercules free of charge on Saturday, May 27, with special guided tours, while from Sunday, May 28, the visit to the Hall will be part of the Palazzo Venezia’s normal museum itinerary.

Source: press release

Hall Labors of Hercules, Wall frescoes with Hercules and Antheus (after restoration) Photo credit: M.Benedetti - A.Corrao

The Hall of the Labors of Hercules at the Palazzo Venezia restored and open again

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