Hidden Renaissance details emerge in Maribor town hall renovation
Restoration work at Slovenia's Maribor Town Hall has uncovered a rare layer of human history etched into its walls: graffiti that might date all the way back to the 16th century.
The graffiti was discovered during exploratory restoration work on the courtyard facade of the north wall of Town Hall in Slovenia's second-largest city, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.
Beneath the whitewash, conservationists found a variety of short handwritten inscriptions, primarily in Latin and German, many of which are only partially preserved.
Conservationist Eva Sapač from the Maribor branch of the national Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage says experts are already studying the graffiti, but determining its meaning will be challenging.
Though badly damaged and difficult to decipher, the inscriptions nevertheless offer a glimpse into the lives those who passed through the Renaissance-era building centuries ago.
The graffiti is not the only interesting find conservationists have made during the ongoing restoration. Beneath the plastered ceilings in the rooms on the upper floor, they discovered Renaissance beams with finely carved, partly symbolic patterns.
"Another remarkable discovery is that the courtyard facade, which borders the Town Hall Square, was designed just as ambitiously as the main facade in the Main Square," Sapač said.
The parapet railing beneath the Renaissance columns of the arcades was originally designed along its entire length as a balustrade with rosette pilasters between them, only one of which was discovered during renovation in the 1950s.
"These are almost identical to the details on the famous balcony of the town hall."
Completed in 1565, Maribor Town Hall is considered an exceptional example of architecture by Italian fortress-building masters led by Domenico dell'Allio and Pietro Antonio Pigrato. It is comparable to the former Rathaus in Graz, Austria.
Supported by EU funds, the renovation of the town hall is slated for completion in 2028. Next to it the city is building a modern cultural centre, scheduled for completion by the end of this year. It will house a library, gallery and cinema.
Photo: Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage
