BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
In a gesture linking the city’s Renaissance heritage with its role as a global sporting host, Milan has temporarily opened public access to a long-concealed wall and ceiling painting by Leonardo da Vinci inside the Sforza Castle, allowing visitors a rare glimpse of the work while restoration is underway.
The vast decorative painting, depicting a pergola woven with interlaced branches, leaves and flowering plants, fills the ceiling and portions of the walls of the Sala delle Asse, one of the castle’s most historic rooms. For centuries, the artwork remained hidden beneath layers of plaster, its existence largely forgotten until its rediscovery in the early 20th century. Even now, it is usually concealed behind towering scaffolding as conservators carry out painstaking restoration.
City officials decided to open the site for a limited period in connection with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, which begin on Feb. 6. The Sforza Castle sits within Sempione Park, the same area where the Olympic flame will burn during the Games, and officials have highlighted Leonardo’s enduring influence on the city as part of the cultural programming surrounding the event.
Letters from the late 15th century confirm that Leonardo began work on the Sala delle Asse in 1498, during his time in the service of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan. The project was never completed. That same year, French forces entered Milan, forcing Leonardo to flee the city. Not long afterward, the room was plastered over as the castle was converted into a military barracks under French rule.
“After the French arrived, the decoration was covered and effectively disappeared from view,” said Luca Tosi, heritage curator at the Sforza Castle. “For centuries, no one could see it, and its original appearance was lost.”
When restorers uncovered the painting in the early 1900s, their approach reflected the conservation standards of the time. Large areas were filled in with paint intended to match Leonardo’s style, a practice that later drew criticism from art historians. As a result, scholars for decades debated how much of what was visible could truly be attributed to Leonardo himself.
“Those interventions meant that many experts no longer recognized the room as an authentic Leonardo,” Tosi said. “It was often described as a repainted Leonardo rather than a genuine one.”
Modern restoration efforts have taken a very different approach, focusing on removing later additions and stabilizing what remains of the original work. Conservators are now carefully cleaning the surface using Japanese rice paper and demineralized water to draw out salts that have migrated into the walls over time, a slow process that requires extraordinary precision.
“Leonardo’s painting is extremely delicate,” Tosi said. “There are areas where the paint is lifting and others that are especially fragile. Every centimeter has to be treated with the utmost care.”
For a brief window between Feb. 7 and March 14, visitors will be allowed to climb the six-meter-high scaffolding and observe conservators at work up close. After that, the Sala delle Asse will close again for an estimated 18 months as restoration continues behind the scenes.
The reopening is part of a broader effort by Milan to showcase its artistic heritage during the Olympics, including newly created Leonardo-themed itineraries within the Sforza Castle. Officials have also revealed that the Olympic cauldron itself draws inspiration from Leonardo’s geometric studies, underscoring his lasting imprint on the city.
The painting’s botanical motifs reflect Leonardo’s deep fascination with the natural world, combining artistic imagination with close scientific observation. Leaves, branches and plant species are rendered with a precision that mirrors his anatomical drawings and scientific notebooks.
Tommaso Sacchi, Milan’s top cultural official, said the restoration offers a powerful reminder of Leonardo’s wide-ranging genius. “It’s deeply moving to rediscover another facet of Leonardo’s work,” he said. “This painting shows his extraordinary dedication to understanding nature, art and science as a single, interconnected pursuit.”
As Milan prepares to welcome the world for the Winter Games, the temporary unveiling of the Sala delle Asse offers visitors a rare opportunity to witness both a masterpiece in progress and the meticulous work required to preserve one of history’s most influential artists for future generations.
Original article
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