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Sidival Fila's 'Memoriae Cartoni Raphaelis' Joins Permanent Collection at Milan's Ambrosiana

exhibition · 2026-04-13

The Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan has incorporated Sidival Fila's artwork 'Memoriae Cartoni Raphaelis' into its permanent collection. This polyptych, consisting of five panels and measuring roughly 3x6 meters, engages with Raphael's cartoon for the 'School of Athens' fresco. The cartoon, a full-scale drawing made up of 210 sheets and approximately 8x3 meters in size, returned to Italy from France in 2019 after undergoing conservation at the Louvre. Fila, a Franciscan friar, employs repurposed fabrics to emphasize their historical significance, connecting with the linen that safeguarded Raphael's cartoon during the Napoleonic period. Both Alberto Rocca and Stefano Boeri commended the installation for revitalizing tradition and deepening the understanding of the cartoon, while Andrea Canova noted the poetic dialogue established through the contrast.

Key facts

  • Sidival Fila's 'Memoriae Cartoni Raphaelis' is now part of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana's permanent collection in Milan.
  • The work is a five-panel polyptych installation measuring approximately 3 meters by 6 meters.
  • It engages with Raphael's preparatory cartoon for the 'School of Athens' fresco in the Vatican's Stanza della Segnatura.
  • Raphael's cartoon, composed of 210 joined sheets (approx. 8x3m), returned to Italy from France in 2019 after Louvre conservation.
  • Sidival Fila is a Brazilian artist and Franciscan friar who works with discarded fabrics like linen and silk.
  • The installation highlights historical traces on the linen that once protected the cartoon during the Napoleonic era.
  • The new display in the Sala del Cartone di Raffaello was inaugurated around 2019.
  • Alberto Rocca and Andrea Canova of the Ambrosiana, and Stefano Boeri, have commented on the work's significance.

Entities

Artists

  • Sidival Fila
  • Raffaello (Raphael)

Institutions

  • Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana
  • Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
  • Louvre
  • Stanze Vaticane
  • Palazzi Apostolici

Locations

  • Milano
  • Italy
  • France

Sources

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