Renaissance treasures discovered in Prince’s Palace

Hidden from sight, 600 square metres of Italian Renaissance frescoes have been discovered in the Palace of Monaco since 2013.

A true national treasure was discovered almost by accident following the renovation of the facades surrounding the Royal Courtyard of the Prince’s Palace in Monaco in 2013. Perched on scaffolding under the Hercules Gallery, from the moment the work began, the painters had a feeling that there was some ancient decoration hidden beneath the accumulated layers of paint. Their intuition was confirmed when, after being scraped off with a scalpel, the top layers of paint and varnish disappeared to reveal stunning, vibrant, bold colours… Analysis then showed that the medium was a lime-based plaster used in fresco art dating from the Italian Renaissance.

A total of 600 square metres of Italian Renaissance frescoes have been revealed within the Prince’s Palace. The discovery resonates particularly with the history of the Principality and the great myths that have shaped its culture, and that of the wider Western world. Legend has it that it was Hercules who created Monaco’s rock and port. Returning from Greece via the Mediterranean, he is said to have arrived on the rocky Ligurian coast. To open up his path, he broke the mountain and created Monaco’s rock – the Rocher. In ancient times, the future Port of Monaco was dedicated to him…