At the University of Cambridge, during renovation workers accidentally discovered medieval frescoes hidden under the plaster, the BBC reported.
The medieval frescoes remained hidden from view for almost 300 years. They were discovered on the roof of Christ Church College during restoration work. The images are located on the territory of the building of the First Courtyard, which dates back to the beginning of the 16th century. On the wall are painted the crowned red rose of Lancaster, the rising battlement of the castle, and the heraldic lily.
Finished in 1448, the college building was originally a church. Its purpose changed in 1505, when the mother of King Henry VII, Margaret Beaufort, founded Christchurch College. The raised lattice was the coat of arms of Beauforts at that time. According to Tudor history expert Christina Faraday, the images serve as evidence of Margaret Beaufort's high status as a royal patron and the esteem in which she was held.
In addition, such murals were commissioned as "branding" in places outside the royal court. "Henry VII had very weak claims to the throne, but he learned to use such visual symbols to promote his royal title. These motifs are associated with the college to this day, being an early example of Tudor 'marketing', the frescoes show the long history of what we consider a modern phenomenon," Faraday explains the meaning of the murals./BGNES
