In November of 2023, the seventeenth-century Palazzo Moroni reopened to the public after three years of restoration work. The Palazzo represents the rich history of the family that owned it for centuries. The FAI acquired it in 2019. It sits in the heart of the historic city of Bergamo, behind its ancient Venetian walls, which are a Unesco World Heritage site.

The restoration of Palazzo Moroni included Haltadefinizione’s ultra-high definition digitisation of a selection of paintings, including masterpieces by Giovan Battista Moroni. This supports the FAI’s decision to acquire a digital archive of its collections.

Behind the scenes of the gigapixel digitization project at Palazzo Moroni in Bergamo

The ultra-high definition images of the paintings in Palazzo Moroni are now in the Haltadefinizione online Image Bank, where users can zoom in on an image with a specially designed viewer, to explore the details of a work in a new and unique way. 

There are three works by Giovan Battista Moroni that stand out, each one a masterpiece of Renaissance portraiture. They are the portraits of Gian Gerolamo Grumelli, of Isotta Brembati and of an elderly woman dressed in black. Giovan Battista Moroni is remembered as one of the most prolific painters in sixteenth-century Italy and for his contributions to the advancement of Renaissance portraiture.

Detail of the hands in the portrait of an elderly woman dressed in black by Giovan Battista Moroni

Haltadefinizione offers the chance to carefully examine every naturalistic detail in these exceptional portraits, which all show Moroni’s firm control over personal character and his search for the deeper soul. His influence extended beyond his time, over painters of the next generation, such as Caravaggio. He took inspiration from Moroni’s intense and realistic portraits to help form his own revolutionary style.

Detail of the gaze in the portrait of Gian Gerolamo Grumelli by Giovan Battista Moroni

These digital images can be magnified dozens of times without losing definition, allowing the viewer to see details that would remain invisible to the naked eye, such as the thin brushstrokes on a face. The technology and processes are certified by the Italian state Central Institute of Restoration. The result is a fundamental contribution to monitoring the conservation status of the works as well as enhancing the collections of the FAI through knowledge gained, comparative analysis, study and research.

Ultra-high definition replicas of three Moroni portraits

Haltadefinizione has also used the ultra-high definition digital images to produce accurate replicas of these three portraits. The replicas are currently exhibited in the stunning Sala dell'Età dell'Oro (Hall of the Age of Gold) in Palazzo Moroni, in place of the originals, which are on loan to the exhibition Moroni (1521 - 1580) The Portrait of his Time. This exhibition at the Gallerie d'Italia in Milan, celebrating Moroni’s 500th birthday, will remain open until April 1, 2024.

The replicas exhibited in Bergamo allow admirers of Moroni to continue to have access to his works and to appreciate his remarkable naturalism even while his original masterpieces are on loan for exhibition in other locations.

The digital acquisition of the masterpieces of Palazzo Moroni is a valuable tool for conservation and for promoting the artistic heritage, allowing new generations to appreciate Moroni’s legacy and his importance in the history of sixteenth-century painting.

All of the works digitized during this project, including Moroni’s portraits, are now available in the Haltadefinizione Image Bank, at this link.