Mantegna's Trivulzio Altarpiece

La Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels by Andrea Mantegna, known as Trivulzio Shovel, is once again on display in the Ballroom of the Castello Sforzesco, accompanied by its recently restored historical setting. This precious wooden artefact, over five metres tall, has been the subject of a lengthy restoration project promoted by the Collections of Ancient Art with theAssociation of the Hall of the Asses, thanks to the contribution of Renée Bormioli (in memory of his parents Luigi and Maria Antonietta Bormioli), Pilot Italy e Cariplo Foundation.

The work, which entered the Civic Collections in 1935 with the acquisition of the prestigious Trivulzio Collection, it was deprived of its frame in the 1950s during the museum's refurbishment. The artefact was then dismantled, dispersed and forgotten, until its rediscovery about ten years ago. Only in 2023, thanks to the efforts of the curator Luca Tosi and the director of the Museums Area, Francesca Tasso, it was possible to begin restoration work.

The restoration of the frame is documented in the volume Restoration, donations and travel: 25 years of the Sala delle Asse, which celebrates the commitment of the’Association of the Hall of the Asses in preserving the heritage of Sforza Castle, combining research, restoration and promotion of its treasures.