Thanks to new studies discovered in the Villa Farnesina, the Egyptian blue on the ceiling of the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche.
Unprecedented result at the Lincei Academy where a new study has allowed the discovery of Egyptian blue on the ceiling of the Loggia of Cupid and Psyche in the Villa Farnesina, as well as its detailed distribution, revealing a discontinuity in its application. The discovery, announced today, took place in December 2023, as part of the activities of CERIF, the Lincean Center for Research on Cultural Heritage in Villa Farnesina, directed by Lincean member Antonio Sgamellotti. The research team explained that during the activities, new VIL (Visible Induced Luminescence) measurements were carried out in the Villa Farnesina, and from there, “Egyptian blue was identified, an artificial pigment composed of copper, silicon, and calcium – where copper acts as the chromophore – produced over 3000 years ago by the Egyptians and then spread and used continuously throughout the Mediterranean basin until the end of the Roman Empire”.
