Renovation and Restoration | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/renovation-and-restoration/RSS feed for Renovation and RestorationenWed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000When Jane Austen Took a Turn About the Ballroom in Bath, Ancient Roman Artifacts Were Hiding Beneath Her Feet. Now, Archaeologists Have Finally Found Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-jane-austen-took-a-turn-about-the-ballroom-in-bath-ancient-roman-artifacts-were-hiding-beneath-her-feet-now-archaeologists-have-finally-found-them-180989592/Recent excavations at the Bath Assembly Rooms in England revealed Roman-era coins, roof tiles, pottery, glassware, a network of ditches and a fragment of a military helmetWed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/when-jane-austen-took-a-turn-about-the-ballroom-in-bath-ancient-roman-artifacts-were-hiding-beneath-her-feet-now-archaeologists-have-finally-found-them-180989592/In One of Rome’s Most Famed and Neglected Villas, Centuries-Old Risqué Frescoes, Painted Over by Nuns, Have Reappearedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-one-of-romes-most-famed-and-neglected-villas-centuries-old-risque-frescoes-painted-over-by-nuns-have-reappeared-180989585/Nearly a year into a $40 million restoration of the Villa Silvestri Rivaldi, conservators are rediscovering and reviving 16th-century artTue, 29 Sep 2026 20:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/in-one-of-romes-most-famed-and-neglected-villas-centuries-old-risque-frescoes-painted-over-by-nuns-have-reappeared-180989585/1,800 Volunteers Pull a 400-Ton Japanese Castle Keep Back Toward Its Original Location After a Decade of Restoration Workhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1800-people-pull-a-400-ton-japanese-castle-keep-back-toward-its-original-location-after-a-decade-of-restoration-work-180989401/The chance to help move the castle keep drew thousands of applications from Japan and abroad. Groups of lottery winners took turns tugging on thick ropes attached to the massive structureThu, 27 Aug 2026 19:43:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1800-people-pull-a-400-ton-japanese-castle-keep-back-toward-its-original-location-after-a-decade-of-restoration-work-180989401/This Dutch Painting Showed a 17th-Century Drinking Game Until Someone Smudged Out a Player, Spoiling the Fun. A Museum Just Restored the Imbibing Soldierhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-this-soldier-was-smudged-out-of-a-famed-de-hooch-painting-restorers-have-painted-him-back-in-180989304/Pieter de Hooch was known for his 17th-century portrayals of domestic life. Some scenes suggested scandal or taught a moralMon, 10 Aug 2026 19:24:11 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/centuries-ago-this-soldier-was-smudged-out-of-a-famed-de-hooch-painting-restorers-have-painted-him-back-in-180989304/One of Italy's Most Popular Attractions, the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Reveals Plans for a Major Renovation Over the Next Two Yearshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-italys-most-popular-attractions-the-uffizi-galleries-in-florence-reveals-plans-for-a-major-renovation-over-the-next-two-years-180989295/The collection of treasures, many of them connected to the Medici family, includes Italian Renaissance masterpieces, a palace and a courtly gardenFri, 07 Aug 2026 18:22:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-of-italys-most-popular-attractions-the-uffizi-galleries-in-florence-reveals-plans-for-a-major-renovation-over-the-next-two-years-180989295/