The Old Sacristy was originally the monastery's refectory.
The ceiling of this rectangular room is divided into regular squares and was fancifully frescoed by Giorgio Vasari with the personification of Christian virtues, figures, symbols, and elegant decorations. The bright and well-preserved colors cheerfully mesh with the warm tones of the wooden panels made by the Olivetan monk Giovanni da Verona, an absolute inlay specialist. Perhaps no other artist has ever been able to match the chromatic nuances of wood with equal finesse, creating images suspended between fantasy and reality, and between truth and deception. As is often the case in this kind of workmanship, the panels play with an optical illusion, simulating half-opened doors where you can make out liturgical furnishings, sacred objects, and musical instruments.
FUN FACT: the panels of the sacristy also simulate "windows" opening onto landscapes and beautiful architectures; some of them are entirely invented, while others are careful depictions of actual views, such as two of Castel Nuovo.
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