Restoration
In January 2023, Ghella started the restoration of the Loggia dei vini in Villa Borghese, with the scientific curation of the Soprintendenza capitolina ai Beni Culturali, realized by R.O.M.A. Consorzio. The work involves three phases:
LOT 1: Restoration of the hemicycle vault; Plastering of external walls; Cleaning of the access stairs; Fresco Convito degli dei (Archita Ricci), stucco cornice, ribs and sails. LOT 2: Restoration of the Loggia's Exterior, tuff and travertine. LOT 3: Restoration of the terracotta floor in the hemicycle; Restoration of the internal perimeter wall.
The first phase of the three-part restoration project has focused on the interior of the loggia, the access stairway to the reservoir, and the exterior plaster of the retaining wall, which is bordered by an iron fence.
Archita Ricci’s central fresco, The Banquet of the Gods, portrays the Olympian gods in traditional iconographic style, seated around a marble table laden with food. At the head of the table, on the left side of the scene, sit Jupiter and Juno, though their figures are now nearly gone, with Ganymede serving them wine. Following them are Pluto, Apollo, Diana, and Mercury, the latter completely lost to time, along with Mars, Venus, and Cupid. Completing the scene are three cherubs hovering above, pouring wine and scattering flowers over the table. The fresco was entirely covered with surface deposits and layered residues from insect colonies, with numerous gaps and areas of lost paint. During a previous conservation intervention in 1968, extensive stucco repairs were made, especially on the left side, and overpainting was applied, which has since deteriorated due to excessive use of the Paraloid B72 consolidant.
Following an initial mechanical removal of surface deposits, a delicate pre-consolidation of the plaster was needed before further conservation steps. Water infiltration from the roof, dating back to the end of the last century, had left the plaster in a fragile state. The thick Paraloid layer was removed using a solvent mixture. This was followed by the careful elimination of multiple old stucco fillings and tempera overpaint—applied during at least two previous restorations—using a MEC solvent mixture on Japanese paper, lifted off with a tampon. Once fragile areas were reinforced, the restoration focused on a meticulous cleaning process, which revealed the incision marks used to transfer the preparatory drawing onto the wet plaster, as well as indications of the various work stages. Gaps that could be visually integrated were filled with lime mortar and finely ground marble dust, while larger gaps were patched to mimic the original plaster’s texture and tone. Finally, the missing areas were reintegrated with watercolor to match the level and tone, and watercolor glazes were applied to reduce the visibility of abrasions, harmonizing the fresco’s overall appearance.
The intricate stucco decorations surrounding the large oval frame of The Banquet and the intrados moldings of the vault were heavily blackened by superficial, loose deposits, obscuring the exquisite detail from below.
Cleaning tests revealed that the stucco and vault ribs had been completely overpainted with an ochre tempera, as had the central fresco’s oval frame, altering Ricci’s original work. During a likely 1920s restoration, some deteriorated stucco areas were replaced, molded from better-preserved sections. These later overpaints had darkened over time. Once cleaned of superficial deposits and stabilized, each element was supported with temporary stucco repairs for fractures and detachment.
Superficial deposits, old stucco fillings, patinas, and stubborn paints were removed using controlled water sprays with surfactant and fine brushwork. Iron clamps and visible pins were treated with an antioxidant, while sections at risk of detachment were fixed with protective banding. After minor repairs with lime mortar and marble dust, color discontinuities were patinated to restore visual unity.
The vault’s pendentives were originally painted with Muses and musical instruments, while the ribs bore the Borghese family emblems of the eagle and dragon, as confirmed by a surviving fragment. However, an initial inspection found that almost all original paintings had been lost, with the plaster repainted in monochrome, disrupting the original two-tone scheme.
After mechanically removing surface deposits, deep consolidation of the plaster, and filling small gaps, the surfaces were lime-washed and patinated with watercolor, blending them into the surrounding historic context.
The eight interior pilasters of the loggia, with their travertine capitals and bases, had been encased in cement patches and refaced multiple times with brown paint. Stratigraphic analysis of the pilasters revealed their original 17th-century finish: a white stucco blend of marble dust and lime. This suggests that, originally, the pilasters, shafts, bases, and capitals were finished in travertine-colored stucco. The finish was replicated with limewash and then patinated with watercolor.
The final interventions included restoring the semicircular staircase at the entrance gate, carefully removing the moss and lichen covering the rustic mosaic and consolidating gaps. The double staircase leading to the sunken area around the Loggia, also cleaned and consolidated, removing vegetation and soil deposits with controlled pressure washing and scrubbing with soft brushes. After filling gaps, the steps received a biocide treatment to prevent or slow the regrowth of autotrophic microorganisms.
