Medieval frescoes were accidentally discovered under plaster at Cambridge University
At the University of Cambridge, workers during renovations accidentally discovered a medieval fresco hidden under plaster. About it reports BBC News.
Medieval frescoes remained hidden from view for almost 300 years. They were found on the roof of Christ Church College during restoration work. The images are located on the territory of the First Courtyard building, which dates back to the beginning of the 16th century. The wall is painted with a crowned red Lancastrian rose, a castle portcullis and a fleur-de-lis.
Built in 1448, the college building was originally a church. Its purpose changed in 1505 when King Henry VII's mother Margaret Beaufort founded Christ Church College. The lifting portcullis was at that time the coat of arms of the Beauforts. According to Tudor historian Christina Faraday, the images serve as evidence of Margaret Beaufort's high status as a royal patron and the reverence for her.
In addition, such frescoes were commissioned as “branding” for places outside the royal court. “Henry VII had a very weak claim to the throne, but learned to use such visual symbols to promote his royal title. These motifs are associated with the college to this day, and being an early example of Tudor 'marketing', the murals demonstrate the long history of what we consider a modern phenomenon,” Faraday explained.
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The images, about six meters wide, are partially covered by wooden beams and are located on the roof in what was probably once part of the north-west wall of the library. They are painted on a thin layer of plaster and are well preserved due to their distance from sunlight and people. There are no plans to move the frescoes. After the repairs are completed, they will be preserved again.
It was previously reported that a painting by Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli, thought to be lost since the 1980s, was found in a house in southern Italy. It turned out that it was given to a local family for safekeeping, but then information about this was lost.
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