Peeling back the years: Lost da Vinci mural discovered beneath layers of paint in Italian castle

Trees sketched by painter have been uncovered in the Sforzesco Castle

Restoration work on the Sala delle Asse, which da Vinci decorated during 1498 with a mural of trees, has unveiled extra sections of the original work



Hidden beneath layers of whitewash, it is hardly a fitting way to treat a mural by one of the world's greatest artists.

But now a lost Leonardo da Vinci artwork may finally see the light of day after restorers have discovered traces that have lain buried beneath paint in an Italian castle.

Hidden beneath seven layers of paint, trees sketched by the master painter have been uncovered in a room of the Sforzesco Castle.

Restoration work on Leonardo da Vinci's work in the Sala delle Asse shows the mural beneath layers of paint

The Italian is thought to have begun his work when he was the court artist for the duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro, in the late 1400s.

Now restoration work on the Sala delle Asse, which da Vinci decorated during 1498 with a mural of trees, has unveiled extra sections of the original work, the La Gazetta del Mezzogiorno revealed.

Some of the scenes have been uncovered underneath 17 layers of whitewash and are focusing on uncovering a huge tree root.

It is not known whether the Renaissance painter completed the mural, because Milan was conquered by the French who stormed the castle and used it for their barracks, the Times reported.

A red ring highlights where the tree root can be seen stuck in a rock in the uncovered mural section

The mural is kept in the 'Room of Planks'; so called because it was a wood-pannelled lined room used as a reception room for ambassadors.

Leonardo da Vinci's mural that was hidden beneath layers of paint is being restored

The Duke was responsible for commissioning the young da Vinci to paint The Last Supper for his family's mausoleum.



The castle was bombed during World War II, but the famous religious painting survived because it had been protected with sandbags.

the restoration comes after a priceless Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece has been unearthed in a Swiss bank vault - almost 500 years after he painted it.



The portrait of Italian noblewoman, Isabella d’Este, was discovered as part of a private collection in a Swiss bank.

The Italian owners have decided to keep their identity a secret.



The painting is a canvas and oil, finished rendering of a well-known pencil sketch of the same woman, the wife of the Marquess of Mantua and one of Renaissance Italy’s most influential women

The sketch, which was drawn in 1499, hangs in the Louvre, and is considered a forerunner to his most famous painting, the Mona Lisa.



Isabella, who appears to share the world-famous subject's mysterious smile and rounded chin, wanted to be painted by the all the greatest artists of the day, which naturally included da Vinci.