A stunning cycle of frescoes described by experts as the 'Sistine Chapel of 13th century' was presented here on Tuesday.
The frescoes, which were buried under layers of plaster for centuries, were discovered during a nine-year restoration of the Santi Quattro Coronati monastery on Rome's Celian Hill.
They are in superb condition and the restoration has left their colours blazing.
The paintings depict the months of the year, the virtues, and the 'arts' of grammar, geometry, music, mathematics and astronomy, marine landscapes, zodiac signs and the constellations.
"It's an extraordinary find," said Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli. "This cycle of frescoes enables us to interpret Italian medieval painting in a whole new light".
In fact, the works fill some gaps in the history of Italian art, revealing more about the cultural rivalry that existed between Rome and Tuscan cities like Siena and Florence and St Francis' in the Middle Ages.
While Tuscany still has many of its masterpieces of that time, a large part of Rome's artwork from the 13th century seems to have been lost.
Critics say the discovery will re-open a long-standing dispute between supporters of Giotto's Florentine school and those who favour Pietro Cavallini's Roman school as the leading exponent of Italian medieval art.
The Santi Quattro Coronati cycle is thought to have been painted in the fourth and fifth decades of the 13th century by a local master known as Terzo Maestro di Anagni, whose work influenced Cavallini.
The monastery is not usually open to the public, but Rutelli said the areas that host the artwork will be opened in the spring so everyone can enjoy it.
