Since
1906, when they were removed, the frescoes have undergone
only one partial restoration: as already mentioned, between
1968 and 1972 Giuseppe Giovanni Pedrocco removed some of the
old wooden supports (for the frescoes that constituted the
wall-decoration of the portego and the Punchinello room),
substituting them with inoxidizable wire-net stretchers,
supported by casings in light alloy, with cross-bars. The
aim was to prevent the paint-surface from cracking or rising
on account of movements in the old wooden support due to
climatic changes; in addition it prevents the formation of
dangerous condensates of humidity and mould.
In 1998, Ottorino Nonfarmale, thanks to the generous funding of the Venice International Foundation, restored The New World. The restorer consolidated the painted surface and cleaned it, freeing it from dirt, from oxidization and from the numerous repaintings added during the restorations carried out by Steffanoni and Pedrocco. The results were excellent, with the original chromatic values being recovered to a great extent; the fresco is now perfectly legible in its every part and, from the point of view of colour, is more transparent and vibrant.
Identical
methods was adopted &endash; given the excellent results
attained &endash; for the other frescoes in the series.
Particular care has been taken in substituting the old
wooden supports that still exist, particularly that of the
ceiling with The Triumph of the Arts, which was created as a
folding structure, so as to enable the fresco to pass
through the doors. The two ceiling-works &endash; previously
mounted on several supports &endash; of the Punchinello room
and the Satyr Room were joined together on a single support,
so that the images regained their original continuity. Both
these ceilings, on account of their size, were restored at
Ca' Rezzonico, while all the other frescoes were transferred
to Professor Nonfarmale's restoration laboratory at San
Lazzaro di Savena (near Bologna). The new metal supports,
with thick meshing in anodized aluminium, are very similar
to the ones previously used by Pedrocco. The listel in
aluminium, which has been screwed on the sides of the
frescoes, will be removed in Ca' Rezzonico.
In 1998, Ottorino Nonfarmale, thanks to the generous funding of the Venice International Foundation, restored The New World. The restorer consolidated the painted surface and cleaned it, freeing it from dirt, from oxidization and from the numerous repaintings added during the restorations carried out by Steffanoni and Pedrocco. The results were excellent, with the original chromatic values being recovered to a great extent; the fresco is now perfectly legible in its every part and, from the point of view of colour, is more transparent and vibrant.
Identical
methods was adopted &endash; given the excellent results
attained &endash; for the other frescoes in the series.
Particular care has been taken in substituting the old
wooden supports that still exist, particularly that of the
ceiling with The Triumph of the Arts, which was created as a
folding structure, so as to enable the fresco to pass
through the doors. The two ceiling-works &endash; previously
mounted on several supports &endash; of the Punchinello room
and the Satyr Room were joined together on a single support,
so that the images regained their original continuity. Both
these ceilings, on account of their size, were restored at
Ca' Rezzonico, while all the other frescoes were transferred
to Professor Nonfarmale's restoration laboratory at San
Lazzaro di Savena (near Bologna). The new metal supports,
with thick meshing in anodized aluminium, are very similar
to the ones previously used by Pedrocco. The listel in
aluminium, which has been screwed on the sides of the
frescoes, will be removed in Ca' Rezzonico.