The Prince's Camerini in Ferrara

The Prince's Camerini in Ferrara

Project

In 2006, Bottega Tifernate completed the creation of 25 life-size pictographic paintings for the Prince’s Chambers inside the Este Castle in Ferrara. The project aimed to reconstruct, with absolute historical and visual accuracy, the masterpieces that once adorned these rooms before being removed in the 16th century, when the castle came under Papal possession. The initiative was directed by Architect Marco Borella.

Objective

The goal was to restore the original splendor of the Prince’s Chambers by returning the artworks to their exact historical locations, using a technique that could authentically reproduce the texture, color, and luminosity of Renaissance painting. Pictography was chosen as the most appropriate method to achieve this goal.

Challenge

The main challenge was to merge scientific precision with artistic sensitivity, ensuring that every recreated work maintained the aura of the original masterpiece. This required a deep understanding of Renaissance pigments, light behavior on canvas, and the subtle techniques of the great masters.

Work Phases

A prestigious scientific committee oversaw the process, including Prof. Antonio Paolucci, Prof. Nicola Marconi (Sapienza University of Rome), and Prof. Charles Hope (National Gallery, London). Under their supervision, each painting was recreated in 1:1 scale through the pictography technique, combining craftsmanship with advanced color and material research. Prof. Vittorio Sgarbi emphasized how pictography allows scholars to examine every detail without accessing the fragile originals.

Installation

The recreated works were installed in the Prince’s Chambers of the Este Castle, precisely where the originals once hung, thus reuniting the architectural and artistic elements of one of Ferrara’s most iconic Renaissance spaces.

Outcome & Recognition

The project restored the historic and aesthetic unity of the castle, allowing visitors to experience its rooms as they appeared in the 15th century. The initiative received widespread academic and institutional recognition, reaffirming pictography as a vital technique for heritage preservation and as a model for future museum reconstructions.



  Art Restitutions

  Go to services: Art Restitutions