{
  "id": 10770835,
  "title": "In One of Rome’s Most Famed and Neglected Villas, Centuries-Old Risqué Frescoes, Painted Over by Nuns, Have Reappeared",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/in-one-of-romes-most-famed-and-neglected-villas-centuries-old-risque",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-29T20:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Smithsonian",
    "slug": "smithsonian",
    "url": "https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-one-of-romes-most-famed-and-neglected-villas-centuries-old-risque-frescoes-painted-over-by-nuns-have-reappeared-180989585/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Rome's shadow, restoration efforts on the ancient Villa Silvestri Rivaldi, constructed between 1534 and 1547 for Pope Paul III's chamberlain, are unveiling centuries-old frescoes that were covered up by nuns. The villa, once a residence for high-profile figures such as Cardinals Lanfranco Margotti and Carlo Emanuele Pio, and members of the Colonna and Medici dynasties, later became a convent, textile factory, welfare institution, and school. Abandoned in the 20th century, its gardens were bulldozed and its history overshadowed by nearby attractions. The Italian Ministry of Culture recently unveiled a $40 million project to restore the palazzo, including the sale to the Lazio region for $30 million. The first phase involves stabilizing floorboards, rebuilding ceilings, and cleaning the vibrant frescoes, some by Raphael's school, that have deteriorated. Surprisingly, workers have uncovered nudes of gods and goddesses that had been painted over by nuns for their perceived risqué content. The restoration also uncovers the villa's history as a squatting venue for musicians and a site of a kidnapping by a communist group.",
  "summary": "Nearly a year into a $40 million restoration of the Villa Silvestri Rivaldi, conservators are rediscovering and reviving 16th-century art",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}