What is hidden “inside” a work of art?

From October 9, 2025 to January 6, 2026, the prestigious venue of the Royal Palace hosted the exhibition “Art from Inside. Masterpieces Revealed Between Art and Science,” produced by Fondazione Bracco in collaboration with 24 ORE Cultura – Gruppo Il Sole 24 ORE.

The result of a long process of research and study, the project stems from a solid conviction: technologies used to care for the human body can also become valuable investigative tools for “caring” for works of art, revealing their hidden souls and contributing significantly to their restoration, protection and enhancement.

The exhibition made it possible to return this valuable contribution to the general public free of charge, accompanying visitors to discover the “secret life” of eight masterpieces in the history of Italian art between the 15th and 18th centuries, analyzed with non-invasive diagnostic techniques that revealed hidden decisions, regrets, changes of patronage, compositional variations and technical stratifications.

1:1 scale reproductions of the works and immersive content made visible materials, layers and creative processes that elude direct observation, which emerged thanks to the contribution of the most advanced technologies. Indeed, where the eyes of the restorer and art historian stop, science intervenes, revealing what has remained hidden beneath the surface for centuries.

A dialogue between art and science in which the latter not only plays a supporting role, but becomes a real language capable of broadening the gaze and enriching the experience and understanding of the artwork.

From experience to learning

The educational dimension was a central value of the project, thanks to a rich program of free tours and workshops designed to bring different audiences closer to the themes of art and diagnostics.

The educational project involved schools, families and the adult public, offering differentiated paths and reading tools adapted to different targets. Theinterdisciplinary approach encouraged active participation, stimulating curiosity and interest in the encounter between scientific and humanistic disciplines, transforming the visit into adynamic and engaging experience, capable of going beyond traditional fruition and creating new ways of accessing knowledge.

Recording some 40,000 visitors, the exhibition established itself as one of the most successful events of the fall 2025 season at the Royal Palace, demonstrating the effectiveness of a model in which scientific and artistic content come together to create a unique and stimulating experience, thanks to the use of contemporary languages and collaboration between different subjects.