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ROME, Jun 15, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A provocative fresco commissioned by Pope Paul III, a flamboyant church leader, was unveiled Thursday for public viewing at Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome.
Painted in 1545-1546 by the Florentine master Perin del Vaga, the fresco depicts the fable of Love and Psyche, in which gods punish a sensual young girl for trying to see the face of her winged lover.
The restored fresco is located in a long-closed apartment inside a Roman monument, ANSA reported. The art had been damaged over the centuries by neglect and clumsy restoration.
Chief restorer Rossano Pizzinelli said he tried to balance the integrity of the original painting with successive interventions.
Twelve apartments in the former papal fortress built over the tomb of emperor Hadrian have been closed for many years.
"The idea is to set up a separate guided tour of the Farnese apartments, recognizing their stylistic autonomy from the rest of the monument," said art expert Fiora Bellini.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
