Revealing beautiful frescos hidden on Capitol Hill [audio 6min]

Michaelangelo's masterwork in the Sistine chapel is world renowned. But what about other great spaces -- grandiose, hard to reach, painted in incredible detail -- closer to home? Take, for instance, the U.S. Capitol. Drawing a blank? There are probably few among us who've heard of Constantino Brumidi. The 19th-century painter was the mastermind behind the impressive frescos that pour over the first floor of the Senate Wing of the U.S. Capitol. Brumidi spent the final 25 years of his life at work there. He depicted hundreds of species of flowers and fruit. He recreated mice and squirrels and birds in scenes of monumental invention. In 1996, the architect of the Capitol began a new phase of detailed restoration of the great Brumidi Corridors. The process led to some incredible discoveries. This week, NPR's Andrea Seabrook spoke with Amy Burton, curatorial assistant to the Senate curator's office, about some of the mysteries of the corridors that have recently been solved -- and those mysteries that still remain.