The unveiling of the “Da Vinci” secret painting in Milan

According to ISNA, at the same time as Milan is preparing to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, this city will provide access to a special work of “Leonardo da Vinci” for a short period of time. This huge wall and ceiling painting, which is unfinished, has been hidden inside “Sforza Palace” for centuries and is usually hidden behind the scaffolding due to restoration.

However, visitors will soon be allowed to climb the towering scaffolding inside the castle’s Sala delle Asse for about five weeks, from February 7 to March 14, to watch restorers at work on the da Vinci fresco. After this five-week window, the work will be locked up again for another 18 months, so the upcoming public access will be a rare opportunity to see the painting up close.

This painting, which has been hidden under plaster for a long time, was recently evaluated as an original work by “Da Vinci”, the master of the Renaissance. According to the historical letters of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, this room was painted in 1498 by Da Vinci and his workshop. This painting lavishly decorates the walls and domed ceiling of this part of the castle with designs of intertwined vine branches on a gazebo, a canopy of 16 trees, and patterns of roots and rocks.

After 1499 AD, the castle was used for military purposes for the next few centuries and was painted on the walls of the “Sala delle Asse” hall, and the memory of this painting disappeared. It was at the end of the 19th century that traces of the original painting were discovered. Subsequent restorations during the 20th century revealed the fresco in its entirety, but the paste paint remains vulnerable. Restorers now use Japanese rice paper with demineralized water to remove salts that have seeped into the walls to clean the surface of the painting.

During the weeks of the Olympics, this castle will host a special series of tours for the final stage of the hall’s restoration. Visitors can climb the scaffolding and see the green vaults of the room from a few centimeters away.

This castle has also opened a new exhibition dedicated to the disciples and followers of Da Vinci.