The castle of Cataio, where Zelotti's 40 frescoes were painted on walls were off limits to visitors for nearly 100 years. The frescoes are in excellent condition and have not undergone any major restorations. “It was a private home; it wasn’t possible for the public to visit,” said Giovanna Dalla Francesca, whose family has owned the castle since 1929, when they purchased it from Italian state. Her father’s two sisters lived there alone and did not want visitors. “My aunts were very closed, and they rarely had guests.” That changed after the sisters died and Ms. Dalla Francesca decided to open the castle to the public twice a week. For now, only part of the castle at Cataio is open to visitors. A grand courtyard is currently being restored, while another wing of the castle is falling apart. Dalla Francesca has been seeking donors to help defray maintenance costs. “Something this big can’t be private anymore,” Ms. Dalla Francesca said. In the meantime, the family raises what money it can to help maintain the castle and restore parts of it. Join discussion...

Roman police have recovered several ancient works of art including Ancient Greek pottery and part of a fresco believed to have belonged to Emperor Nero's wife. The fresco, which was near Pompeii at its time, was burried in twenty feet of ash after the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius that killed all of Pompeii's inhabitants. The fresco and other arifacts that were stolen in the 1970s were found in various collections in different countries in Europe. They were believed to have been stolen through a European art trafficking ring and thirty-one people are currently being investigated, though no arrests have been made yet. Join discussion...