Siena, restorations finished at the Duomo's Piccolomini Library. The masterpiece open again

Restoration work is finished in Siena on the Piccolomini Library, the splendid Renaissance room attached to Siena Cathedral that was commissioned in 1492 by Cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, archbishop of Siena who, with this extraordinary room, wanted to celebrate the memory of his maternal uncle, Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini, a pontiff as well as a fine humanist who was able to collect a substantial book collection. Todeschini envisioned the Libreria as the place to store this material, modeled after the French libraries that were attached to cathedrals, and the Vatican Library. Between 1503 and 1508, the Libreria was then frescoed by Pinturicchio and his workshop with the very famous frescoes evoking the life and exploits of Pius II, in ten scenes (the young Raphael also collaborated on them).

The restoration, commissioned by theOpera della Metropolitana di Siena, involved the wooden counters, the display cases, the portal, and the marble group of the Three Graces that stands out in the center of the Libreria (it is a Roman work, a copy of a Hellenistic original, acquired by Todeschini in Rome, from Cardinal Prospero Colonna). In addition, the Library has been equipped with new lighting, installed thanks to the collaboration with the company Erco: the aim of the work is to improve the legibility of the choir books, which, thanks to the new lights, the new glass in the cases and the filtering film applied to the windows of the Library, will allow a better appreciation of the precious illuminated volumes.

The intervention will be presented in detail to the press and public on Oct. 23 (reservations required). Then the Piccolomini Library will reopen for good, as it had experienced some periods of closure during the works.

Source: Ansa

Pictured: the Libreria Piccolomini

Siena, restorations finished at the Duomo's Piccolomini Library. The masterpiece open again

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