Built between 1834 and 1841, the Letarouilly portico features a fresco adorned in 1891 by painters Urbain Bourgeois and Louis Hista. This work, depicting allegorical decorations of a fantastic Pompeian inspiration, draws from the rediscovered frescoes of the Domus Aurea, Nero's palace in Rome. The painted decorations were in a degraded state of conservation.
The comprehensive restoration included re-fixing the pictorial layer, cleaning the decorations, and meticulous reintegration. The project also involved renovating and improving the lighting, checking roof waterproofing, and consolidating the exterior masonry.
Thanks to these efforts, the fresco can now be admired in its original state, as conceived by Urbain Bourgeois and Louis Hista. The portico and fresco are freely accessible during the Collège de France's opening hours.
This restoration was made possible by the patronage of the Fondation Clément Fayat and Crédit Agricole d'Île-de-France. Heritage architect Guillaume Moine coordinated the companies Louis Geneste (masonry and roofing), Tollis (murals), and INDELEC (electrical).
The Collège de France is continuing its preservation efforts with a new restoration campaign for the statuary in the Budé and Letarouilly courtyards, supported by a participatory patronage campaign open to all.
