Expose a unique piece of Roman art

Italian restorers unveiled a marble decoration with vivid colors of more than 1,600 years old, but even contemporary Romans have not been seen.

The marble is carved with the technique of opus sectile, used to decorate the floors and walls of the ancient Roman palace more than 1,600 years ago. However, the palace ceiling had collapsed during the construction and the work was buried for centuries.

"Even the owner of the palace has not seen this masterpiece," said Francesco Rutelli, minister of Italian Cultural Heritage.

What causes the roof to collapse 1,600 years ago is unknown, but the accident clearly helped preserve the building. Visitors at the dell'Alto Medioevo Museum in Rome can enjoy newly restored colorful decorations in the previous room, which is the lobby of the palace. Floors and 3 of 4 walls are covered with marble.

(Photo: Discovery)

The marble painting is the only evidence of Roman art form opus sectile. It is the art of cutting, created by pairing pieces of marble of different colors, which are finely cut. The form of assembly is like a jigsaw puzzle.

Art of opus sectile originates from Egypt and Asia Minor. " It is similar to mosaic, but has a higher value and is a more luxurious art form. The work needs a lot of delicate marble pieces of different shapes, instead of small mosaic objects, usually just the scars of red-tail , " said Katherine Dunbabin, a classical professor at the University of Canada.

The work with thousands of colorful stone fragments was first excavated in 1959. For five decades, restorers have pieced together one piece of this marble painting."The results are amazing. Only marble is worth a trip to Rome , " Rutelli said.

While the floor is decorated with octagonal shapes, circles and stars, the wall consists mainly of predators, flowers and geometric patterns. There are also images of 2 people on the wall."A person may be the young master of the house. The other, has an aura on his head, may be the classic image of Jesus or a noble philosopher," said Maria Stella Arena, the director. Museum, said.

MT