Memoriae Cartoni Raphaelis

From the encounter between the majesty of the Renaissance and the sensitivity of the contemporary comes Memoriae Cartoni Raphaelis, the artist's new permanent installation Sidival Fila at the Venerable Ambrosian Library of Milan.

Inaugurated on 25 March 2026, the work is not only a tribute to the genius of Urbino, but a true “return” of matter: the artist has in fact worked on the ancient Napoleonic linen fabric which for centuries has supported and protected the School of Athens, before being removed during the last restoration in 2019.

A dialogue between matter and memory

The installation takes the form of an imposing polyptych of five panels (300 × 609.8 cm) placed in front of Raphael's masterpiece. Sidival Fila, Franciscan friar and internationally renowned artist, has chosen not to hide the signs of time - stains, mould and traces of moisture - but to enhance them through cuts, seams and tensions.

“In this linen I recognised a living memory: not a fragment to be preserved, but a presence that continues to speak”.” - Sidival Fila.

Why visit

• An immersive experience: The Cardboard Room is transformed into a place of silence and contemplation where light enhances the spirituality of forms.
• History and contemporaneity: The work celebrates the anniversary of the acquisition of the Cartone by Federico Borromeo, inserting a modern language into one of Milan's oldest contexts.
• Exceptional contributions: The project boasts the collaboration of architect Stefano Boeri and a catalogue edited by Donatien Grau (Allemandi Editore).

Useful info for Museum Pass holders

Installation Memoriae Cartoni Raphaelis is part of the permanent exhibition of the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana.

• Where: Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Piazza Pio XI, 2, Milan.
• Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Wednesdays.
• Entrance: Access to the Cardboard Room is included in the ticket to the Art Gallery (and as always free/ subsidized for Abbonamento Musei members according to current conditions).

Not only Raphael

On this occasion, we invite you to rediscover the three souls of the Ambrosiana: the Library with its illuminated codices (including Leonardo's Codex Atlanticus), the Art Gallery hosting the Fruit soup of Caravaggio and the Musician by Leonardo, and the evocative Crypt of St Sepulchre, l'umbilicus of Milan.