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The Extraordinary Art Restitution by Bottega Tifernate
A Historic Return
Last September, Bottega Tifernate celebrated one of its most significant art restitutions, recreating in its original location the fresco by Melozzo da Forlì, “Pope Sixtus IV Appointing Bartolomeo Platina Prefect of the Vatican Library”, a masterpiece currently preserved in the Vatican Pinacoteca.
Thanks to the invaluable contribution of Dr. Paolo Violini, Head of the Restoration of the Vatican Works of Art, the Bottega created a flawless pictography on lime plaster, faithfully reproducing the original dimensions (370x320 cm) and returning the celebrated Platina to the very position it occupied in 1477, in the Hall of the first Sistine Library.
The Meaning of the Work: Memory and Beauty
This art restitution is far more than a mere reproduction: it is a true reappropriation of memory, beauty, and symbolic value — a tribute to a defining moment in the cultural history of Europe.
The fresco depicts the appointment of the humanist Bartolomeo Sacchi, known as Platina, as the first Prefect of the Vatican Library by Pope Sixtus IV, who stands at the center as the embodiment of the grand Renaissance vision of the Church.
Conceived by Melozzo da Forlì as an architectural composition of perfect perspective and radiant monumentality, the work celebrates the strength of Christian Humanism: Platina kneeling before the Pope, surrounded by eminent members of the Curia — including Giuliano della Rovere, the future Pope Julius II — becomes the emblem of culture as the foundation of both power and knowledge.
The Story of the Fresco: A Journey Through Time
In 1826, the fresco was removed from its original setting in the Vatican Library and transferred to the Pinacoteca, thus depriving the Sistine rooms of one of their most symbolic works.
Today, thanks to the craftsmanship and scientific precision of Bottega Tifernate, Melozzo’s masterpiece has “come home,” restoring to scholars and visitors not only the artwork itself, but also the historical and spiritual breath of one of the highest expressions of the alliance between the Church and Culture.
The space that once housed the Sistine Library is now home to the Tribunal of the Sacred Rota, which makes this restitution even more meaningful — a gesture of memory, continuity, and reverence in Vatican history.
A Return Celebrated: The Papal Blessing
The new pictography, blessed by the Holy Father and welcomed with the words of Dr. Barbara Jatta, Director of the Vatican Museums — “At last, the Platina returns home” — stands as one of the noblest examples of contemporary art restitution.
It is an act of preservation, awareness, and love for history that unites art, faith, and knowledge.
Conclusion: A New Page of Beauty
Today, the Platina can once again be admired in its original location, with the luminous monumentality that Melozzo da Forlì bestowed upon the humanity of his figures.
This accomplishment marks a new page of restored beauty, enriching both the local and universal history of art, and returning to collective memory one of the most representative masterpieces of the Christian Renaissance.