Overview

• The 1719 portrait resumed its symbolic inverted display at the Museo de Bellas Artes de Xàtiva, marking Felipe V’s 1707 order to burn the city during the War of Spanish Succession.
• The Institut Valencià de Conservació, Restauració i Investigació led a two-year conservation that consolidated deteriorated paint layers and removed oxidized varnishes from prior interventions.
• Ultraviolet imaging, infrared reflectography and X-ray fluorescence were guided in real time by AR glasses, enabling precise identification of overpaints and structural flaws.
• Infrared studies uncovered a series of overlapping cartouche inscriptions reflecting dynastic title shifts while cleaning revealed a concealed horse figure in the battle scene background.
• EU funding through the Next Generation EU program underwrote the project, showcasing Valencia’s commitment to heritage innovation and research.