A huge fresco of the Last Supper has been found in an old convent in Siena. The fresco covers some 60 square metres of a wall in the refectory of the Santa Marta convent.
It was discovered under thick plaster during restoration work on the building.
The face and bust of Christ have so far emerged along with two flanking apostles, scraps of food and an architectural backdrop.
The work has been provisionally dated to the second half of the 15th century, when Sienese art was reflowering under the influence of the great artistic developments in nearby Florence.
"I'm excited about this find which adds a key piece to the city's huge cultural jigsaw," said Siena Mayor Maurizio Cenni.
Art historian Nicoletta Fragnoli said: "This fresco is an important contribution to the history of Sienese art". Two fine late Renaissance paintings were discovered in the left and right lunettes of the fresco wall: an Annunciation and an as-yet-unidentifiable female saint.
