Category Archives: Art history

Casino dell’Aurora~Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi

21 Thursday Aug 2025

Posted by in Art, Art history, Italia, Roma

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Caravaggio 2025 at Palazzo Barberini, the exhibit coinciding with Giubileo 2025, was extended by 2 weeks. Yippee!! This was great for me, since I arrived in Roma the day after it was supposed to end.  As soon as I heard about the extension, I booked tickets before they sold out. It was amazing, and I will post about it after I get home. With the code from my ticket purchase, I was also able to book one of the limited weekend tickets to Casino dell’ Aurora, Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi, a private home, which is not normally open to the public.

Why am I so excited about this? Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi contains the only ceiling painted by Caravaggio, one of his least accessible masterpieces.

The Villa is the only remaining part of a large suburban retreat, built by Cardinal Francesco del Monte in the 16 th Century. The cardinal was an early patron of Caravaggio and he had an interest in alchemy*. He commissioned 25 year old Caravaggio to paint the ceiling of his small alchemy lab in 1597.

The painting ‘Giove, Nettuno e Plutone’ -Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto is an alchemical allegory with the 3 Olympian gods and their symbols and animals from classical mythology. For Jupiter these are air, sulphur and the eagle, for Neptune water, mercury, a trident and the hippocampus (a mythological seahorse) and for Pluto, earth, salt and Cerberus the 3 headed dog.

This painting may have been a middle finger salute early in his career to critics who accused Caravaggio of having a poor sense of perspective. The 3 figures are foreshortened in the most dramatic way possible. Jupiter floats in the sky with an eagle and reaches out to move a luminous celestial sphere where the sun revolves around the earth. Zodiac signs are barely visible in the center. Neptune and Pluto appear to be standing right over you, with Neptune’s private parts dangling above your head!

Caravaggio used his own face for all 3 figures. It was common for him to insert his self-portrait into a painting, but not as the main focus.  In this case, it is likely because this early in his career, he could not afford to pay a model, and he had not started using everyday people as models.  Since the 3 figures are supposed to be brothers, it worked. Cerberus may have been painted from his own dog.

This ceiling painting is unusual as it is oil paint on dry plaster, so essentially it is a mural. It is not a fresco, which is painted with pigments directly into wet plaster. The painting does not have that ‘chalky’ look of a fresco. The size is 300 by 180 cm, about 10’ by 6’. It is on the upper floor, reached via the staircase seen below, in the main ‘Aurora’ reception room.

In 1621, del Monte sold the villa and grounds, a 30 hectare (74 acre) area between Porta Pinciana and Porta Salaria, to Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi. In 1621, Guercino also completed the Aurora fresco on the ceiling of the main reception hall. This is why the villa is also referred to as Casino dell’Aurora or Villa Aurora. Guercino had help with the illusionist architectural details by the notorious Agostino Tassi. Read more about him in the post Artemisia Gentileschi.

The princes Boncompagni-Ludovisi subdivided and sold the property in 1883. Roma’s Ludovisi district is on these former grounds. The 2200 m² (2400 sq ft) villa and a small  parcel of land remained with the Ludovisi family.

Since the 2018 death of the owner, Prince Niccolò Boncompagni Ludovisi, there has been an inheritance dispute between his American widow and the 3 sons from his first marriage. The widow was evicted in 2023 and a court ordered sale made the villa the most expensive house ever to go on the market. Valued at €470 million, it is still for sale and also needs €10 million worth of restoration work $$$! Hopefully the family comes to some sort of agreement and Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi will eventually become a museum. I will purchase Lotto tickets in the meantime 🤞.

Casino dell’Aurora, Villa Boncompagni-Ludovisi is located at Via Lombardia 46, a short walk from Porta Pinciana and the Marriott Grand Hotel Flora. It is not open to the public and there are no plans for public viewing at this time.  If you somehow happen to get the opportunity-definitely go! Now that I have seen Giove, Nettuno e Plutone, I have seen all 25 of Caravaggio’s paintings in Roma!

*Alchemy was a precursor to actual science. It was aimed at discovering the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ to turn other metals into gold, and the elixir of youth.

Artemisia Gentileschi

08 Monday Jul 2024

Posted by in Art, Art history, Firenze, Inspiration, Roma

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Artemisia Gentileschi was born July 8, 1593, 431 years ago today.  One of the greatest artists of the Baroque period, she is best known for using her paintbrush to create empowered female subjects, portraying them from a female perspective, in ways male artists rarely had. Rather than sitting passively, Artemisia’s women are active participants, strong, capable and defiant.

Introduced to art and trained by her father Orazio Gentileschi, an early follower of the dramatic style of Caravaggio, Artemisia worked along with her 3 younger brothers.  She was the only one to show talent and interest, producing her own work by age 15. In 1610, at age 17, she painted her earliest surviving work ‘Susanna and the Elders’ which for years was incorrectly attributed to Orazio. Unlike other painters’ versions, her Susanna is distraught and shields herself from the oglers, as an early depiction of sexual harassment. Artemisia painted this subject 7 times.

Susanna and the Elders (1610)

In 1611 Orazio decorated a palazzo in Rome with painter Agostino Tassi.  He hired Tassi to tutor 17-year-old Artemisia to help refine her painting skills.  During one of their sessions, he raped her.  They started a relationship, since she believed they were going to be married, as societal norms of the time required.  When it became apparent that Tassi was not going to marry Artemisia, Orazio took the unusual route of pressing charges against him for rape.  The trial went on for 7 months, revealing scandalous details -that Tassi had an affair with his sister-in-law and allegedly hired bandits to murder his missing wife.  Artemisia was subjected to a gynecological exam, and tortured with thumbscrews to verify the truthfulness of her testimony!  Luckily there was no permanent damage to her fingers and this did not affect her ability to paint. Tassi was convicted, and sentenced to 2 years in prison.  He was also exiled from Roma, but this was never enforced.

Judith Slaying Holofernes 1620 Galleria degli Uffizi, Firenze

After this ordeal, many of Artemisia’s paintings feature women being attacked or in positions of power, seeking revenge. In 1612 she painted her first of 6 versions of Judith Slaying Holofernes, which is in Museo Capodimonte, Napoli.  The 1620 version in the Galleria degli Uffizi, Firenze is ‘bloodier’ than the first one. I like to imagine Artemisia having a scientific discussion with Galileo about realistic blood spatter patterns!  Below is Caravaggio’s 1598-99 version of the scene, which is a masterpiece, but Judith looks like the 90 pound weakling who is worried about breaking a nail or getting blood on her dress, and her servant just stands there.  In Artemisia’s version, both women mean business, practically sitting on Holofernes to get the job done. 

Judith Beheading Holofernes Caravaggio 1598-99 Palazzo Barberini

After the trial, Orazio arranged for Artemisia to marry artist Pierantonio Stiattesi and they moved to his home city Firenze, where she had a successful career as an artist and an impressive clientele.  She had the support of Cosimo II de Medici and was friends with Galileo.

Allegory of Inclination (1615) Casa Buonarroti

At age 21, Artemisia was the first woman accepted into the prestigious Firenze Accademia delle Arte del Disegno.  This was a major accomplishment!  She was now able to sign her own contracts and purchase art materials without permission from her husband!  In 1615, she was commissioned to paint one of the ceiling frescoes at Casa Buonarroti, former home of Michelangelo, being turned into a museum by his great-nephew. Artemisia was paid more than the male artists working on the frescoes were! ‘Allegory of Inclination’, like many of her paintings, was likely a self-portrait.  Why self-portraits?  The model is free and always available!

Self-portrait, Galleria Barberini 1630-35

In 1618 Artemisia had a daughter named Prudentia, the only one of her 5 children to survive infancy.  She trained Prudentia as an artist, although none of her work survives that we know of.  Artemisia had an affair with Florentine nobleman Francesco Maria di Niccolo Maringhi, which is documented in a series of 36 letters, discovered in 2011.  Her husband also corresponded with Maringhi, who helped support them financially.  Fed up with her husband’s financial and legal issues, she returned to Roma with her daughter in 1621-1626.  Artemisia continued to be influenced by Caravaggio as she worked with some of his followers, Carravagisti, including Simon Vonet.  She also spent 3 years in Venezia working on commissions.

Sansone e Dalila/Samson and Delilah 1630-38 Galleria d’Italia, Napoli

Artemisia relocated to Napoli in 1630 and worked with many well-known artists such as Massimo Stanzione. In 1638, she was invited to the court of Charles I of England in London, where Orazio had been court painter for 12 years. He was the only Italian painter in London and the first to introduce the style of Caravaggio there.  Orazio and Artemisia had not seen each other for 17 yrs.  She worked alongside Orazio on an allegorical fresco for Greenwich, residence of the Queen. Orazio was 75 and needed her help to complete the work before he died suddenly in 1639.  Artemisia painted some of her most famous works while in England, including Self Portrait as Allegory of Painting (1639), which she likely painted with 2 mirrors, one on either side of her. In 2017 I had the opportunity to see this painting at the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibit from the Royal Collection.

Self-portrait as the Allegory of Painting 1638-39 Royal Collection, Windsor Castle

Once she finished her commissions, Artemisia left England before 1642, returning to Napoli.  The last letter from her agent was dated 1650, which implies she was still painting.  There is additional evidence to suggest she was still working in Napoli in 1654 and likely died during the plague in 1656.

Artemisia’s legacy is complex and full of controversy.  She defied the odds and was well respected as an artist during her own lifetime.  She thrived in a time when women had few opportunities to pursue artistic training, let alone actually work as professional artists.  After her death, Artemisia Gentileschi was almost omitted from the history of art.  The fact that her style was much like her father’s and some of her works were incorrectly attributed to Orazio and even Caravaggio may have something to do with that.  More likely, those documenting art history did not think a woman was worth mentioning.

In the early 1900’s, her work was rediscovered and championed by Caravaggio scholar Roberto Longhi.  In all accounts of her life, Artemisia’s talent and achievements are overshadowed by the story of her rape and trial.  This is partly due to a 1947 over-sexualized fictional novel by Longhi’s wife Anna Banti.  1970’s and 80’s feminist art historians began to reassess Artemisia and her reputation, focusing on her significant artistic achievements and influence on the course of art history rather than events that happened in her life.

A 1976 exhibition ‘Women artists 1550-1950’ proposed that Artemisia was the first female in the history of Western art to make a significant and important contribution to the art of her time.  Following centuries of near obscurity, today Artemisia’s paintings are again celebrated around the world.  An ornate plate rests in her honour at the table of contemporary feminist art as part of Judy Chicago’s iconic 1979 work ‘The Dinner Party’.

Artemisia has left us with 60 paintings, not including collaborations with Orazio.  40 of them feature females from the Bible or mythology. Only 19 of her paintings are signed and 13 are in Private collections!  Can you imagine owning your own Artemisia??? Famous quotes from Artemisia include ‘My illustrious lordship, I’ll show you what a female can do’ and ‘As long as I live, I will have control of my being’.

Enjoy the Monologue ‘Becoming Artemisia'(May 2024) directed by Antonio D’Alfonso, text by Mary Melfi (17 min).

Google doodle of Artemisia GentileschiBuon Compleanno Artemisia!

Photo credits: Susanna and the Elders and Allegory of Inclination, Wikipedia

Google Doodle by Hélène Leroux, July 8, 2020

All other photos taken by Cristina

Cavalli di San Marco

23 Sunday Jun 2024

Posted by in Art, Art history, Italia

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I Cavalli di San Marco are a set of gilded copper statues of 4 horses, originally attached to a quadriga, a four horse carriage used in chariot racing.  Also known as the ‘Triumphal Quadriga’ and the ‘Horses of the Hippodrome of Constantinople’. The sculptures date from classical antiquity.  Because of the style, they were thought to be Greek, by the 4th C BC sculptor Lysippos, but carbon dating shows they are from the 1st-3rd C AD, which makes them 1700-1900 years old. An 8th century document mentions ‘four gilt horses that stand above the Hippodrome brought from the island of Chios by Theodosius II’ (AD 408-450)

The sculptures are expressive and magnificent!  The realism is incredible-bulging veins, rippling muscles, flaring nostrils, raised hooves, and the way they are in sync, with their heads turned to each other.  Streaks of gold leaf are still visible on their bodies.  The poet Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374) remarked ‘they seem to be neighing and pawing at the ground, as if alive’.  They are made using the lost wax method.  A wax sculpture is used to make a mold, usually of clay.  The sculpture is then cast with the mold. Each cavallo weighs close to 900 kg (2000 lbs).  Very few metal masterpieces have survived from antiquity as they were all melted down in medieval times to make weapons.

There is a lot of history to this foursome representing Apollo, God of the sun.  They were likely made on the Greek island of Chios and brought by Emperor Constantine to the new capital Constantinople (modern Istanbul) in 330 AD to adorn the chariot racetrack or by Theodosius 100 years later.  During the sack and looting of Constantinople in 1204, the Venetians took them as spoils of war. The cavalli were in storage in the Arsenale and in 1254 were placed on the terrace above the main door to the Basilica San Marco, as a symbol of military and political power. Small marble columns held up their feet.  Collars on the horses were added to hide where they had to be decapitated for transport from Constantinople.  They lived on the terrace for almost 600 years, until Napoleon looted them in 1797, taking them to Paris. In Paris, they were installed outside the Louvre on top of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, along with a new quadriga. Upon the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, they were actually returned to the terrace in Venezia by the Duke of Wellington- minus their ruby pupils.  Replicas are now on the Paris monument. The cavalli were restored in 1977 and to protect from environmental oxidation they made their final journey in the early 1980’s.  The cavalli were moved inside the Basilica to the Loggia dei Cavalli and replicas made by Fonderia Battaglia di Milano were placed on the terrace

Classical art has a long history as a trophy of war taken by victorious generals.  Greater than art, it had power, and was a symbol of triumph, survival and to how each civilization built on the previous one.  Regardless of how you feel about looted art, for these 4 brothers, it is what saved them.  There is almost zero chance they would have survived if left in Constantinople.  They would have been melted down for ammunition or building materials.

Do not miss a visit to these beauties. Admission to the Basilica San Marco on site is €3 plus admission to the Museum, outdoor terrace and Loggia dei cavalli €7 for a total of €10.

Tickets can also be purchased online in advance for the Basilica €6, and the museum €9 for a total of €15. Have you seen I Cavalli di San Marco?

*Photo credit-Prethika Kumar!

Venezia~La Serenissima

25 Monday Mar 2024

Posted by in Architecture, Art history, Italia, Photography

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La Serenissima turns 1603 today!  Venezia, a geographically unique engineering marvel, is built on a group of 118 tiny islands in the Venetian lagoon.  They are separated by open water and 170 canals, linked by over 400 footbridges.  Named after the ancient Veneti people of the 10th Century BC, Venezia was founded March 25, 421 by refugees from the Roman cities of Padua, Aquilea and Treviso, and the surrounding countryside fleeing Longobard and Hun invasions.  They first settled on the sandy islands of Torcello and Jesolo. The land of the islands in the lagoon was muddy, some of it barely above water, and not suitable to build on.  Millions of wooden poles or pilings were submerged into the mud and sand to reach the solid layer of earth underneath.  The pilings were covered with wooden boards to form the base that the city was built on.  Since there was no forest in the area, the wood came from Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro.

Venezia was the capital of the Venetian Republic for almost a century, from 810 until 1797 when it was defeated by Napoleon.  In 1866, along with the rest of the Veneto region, it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.  The title ‘La Serenissima’ refers to its stability as a government compared to others at the time. Venezia was a wealthy city for most of its history, especially the 13th-17th centuries.  It was as an influential financial and maritime power and important center of art, commerce, and trade of silk, grain and spices between East and West.  This east/west connection is apparent in the art and architecture of the city. The Venetian Lagoon and historical parts of the city within the lagoon became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The population of Venezia is now about 55,000 and the PATREVE (Padua, Treviso, Venezia) metro area has a population of 2.6 million.

I have been to Venezia 5 times and my most recent visit was following an unintentional 28 year absence!  I still remember stepping out of Stazione Santa Lucia the first time, and immediately being filled with wonder and awe at the view.  That part hasn’t changed a bit since 1980. This time I was there for 3 days in early October but the weather was like summer.  So were the crowds!  It was unbelievable how many people were in the streets and waiting in lines! Someone forgot to tell everyone it was not July! I also noted much more expensive it was than the rest of Italia.  When I saw the lineups for everything in Piazza San Marco-even for those with reservations, I decided to concentrate on exploring outside. I enjoyed the beautiful weather and only visited a few places that were new to me. I definitely want to see the incredible interior of Basilica San Marco and the 4 Cavalli again, but will wait for a rainy day!

Signore in piazza, Cannareggio

Venezia is shaped like a fish and there are 6 sestieri or neighbourhoods:

  • Santa Croce the west end ‘mouth’ of the fish is the transportation hub, with the bus and train stations, harbour of San Basilio, and parking garage in Piazzale Roma.
  • San Marco is the touristy center with Piazza San Marco and Rialto
  • Dorsoduro is the trendy Southeastern area across Canal Grande and includes Giudecca, Piazza and Ponte Accademia, Collezione Peggy Guggenheim and Santa Maria della Salute
  • San Polo across the Ponte Rialto, is the oldest sestiere and includes Rialto fruit and fish mercato
  • Cannareggio the most northern area is less crowded and touristy, more of the ‘real’ Venezia.  It includes the Jewish quarter.  It is picturesque and the best place to get lost among the calli (streets)
  • Castello the eastern ‘tail’ of the fish and largest sestiere is host to the Biennale in the Arsenale Naval base

    Calcio in Castello

Main things to see and do:Wander aimlessly, get lost and explore! Venezia is a photographer’s paradise, a walkable city and many of the sights are clustered.  Walk from Piazzale Roma to Piazza San Marco (40 min-1 hour), explore the ponti (bridges) and narrow calle (streets) look for cisterne (rainwater collection wells), walk along Riva degli Schiavoni to see the gondole bobbing up and down in the water and stop for cicchetti (Venetian snacks).

Cruise Canal Grande. Buy a Vaporetto pass and explore the Canal Grande from the water. Get on in front of Stazione Santa Lucia and cruise to San Marco or vice versa. Canal Grande is S shaped and lined with ~170 majestic palazzi, buildings from the 13-18th  Many of them are fondaco houses, meaning the ground floor was a warehouse and merchants lived on the upper floors with their families. 3 of my favourite palazzi are the Fondaco dei Turchi, the Venetian Gothic Ca’ d’Oro, and Palazzo Dario, which is funky because it started out Gothic but was renovated in Renaissance style. I love to spot interesting boats… the ambulance boat, the dry-cleaning delivery boat, etc.

Piazza San Marco is the main piazza in Venezia and is full of things to see. The multi domed Basilica is at the east end, and the rest is lined with arcades.  These were once homes and offices, now shops and restaurants.  In the piazza is a 4.5m bronze winged lion, the symbol of San Marco and the Venetian Republic.  It is on top of Egyptian granite column brought here in the 12th  Napoleon moved it to Paris but it was returned in 1815.  Torre dell’Orologio, the clocktower dates back to the 15th Century.

Torre dell’Orologio 1980

Visit Basilica San Marco, built in the 9th century and enlarged in 1063. Over 8 centuries, golden mosaics and other treasures were added.  The exterior is magnificent, with a combination of Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic features. The Western side has mosaic archways while the Southern side has gothic adornments.  The Interior has 8000 m² of golden mosaics.  Gold leaf is sandwiched between 2 layers of glass tile, giving an illumination effect.  The evening tour is apparently spectacular as it is lit up. The Cavalli di San Marco, 4 magnificent ancient Greek bronze horses were brought from Constantinople in 1204.  Since 1974, replicas are on the terrace above the entrance, and the originals are inside.  They need their own blog post!  Admission €3 onsite, €6 online in advance.  Extra €5 to see Pala d’oro altar piece and Cavalli. Open 0930—1715, 1400-1715 Sundays.  Note….even if booked online, you still have to arrive early and wait in lineups for security.

Palazzo Ducale-Venetian Gothic style former residence of the Doges and Palazzo di Giustizia (courthouse) next to Basilica San Marco. It is now a museum.  Cross Ponte dei Sospiri (bridge of sighs) to see prisoners’ last view on their way to execution. Admission €25 Open 0900-1800 daily

Climb Campanile-Take the elevator to the top of the belltower for amazing views. Reservations are booked for a specific time slot €10 Euro, €12 online.  May be closed during maltempo-bad weather.

Collezione Peggy Guggenheim Former home of the heiress, now a museum of modern art in the Dorsoduro area. Take a €2 traghetto gondola ride across Canal Grande from San Marco or walk across Ponte dell’ Accademia.  Admission €16 open 1000-1800 Closed Tuesdays. Read my post here.Terrace Horse, Peggy Guggenheim Collection VeniceSanta Maria della Salute the Baroque church at the entrance to Canal Grande next to Punta della Dogana, has been immortalized by artists Canaletto, Sargent, Turner and Monet. The octagonal church made of Istrian stone has 2 domes and 2 bell towers in the back. Built in 1687 to celebrate the end of the plague (black death) that killed 1/3 of the population.  Santa Maria della Salute means ‘Our Lady of Good Health’.

Entrance to the Basilica is free, climb steps to the cupola €4  Open 0900-1200 and 1500-1730.  Cupola closed Mondays. Take the ‘ferry gondola’ across from Piazza San Marco for €2. Nov 21 is the Festa della Salute featuring a parade from San Marco to La Salute over a pontoon bridge.

Ponte dell’ Accademia walk over the old wooden bridge for the best views of Canal Grande

Ponte Rialto a covered footbridge lined with shops has great views from both sides. It is the oldest of 4 bridges that span the Canal Grande.  The original was built in 1173 and it was rebuilt several times.  The present bridge was built in 1591.

Gondola ride Ponte Rialto 1995

Ride in a gondola Gondolas are unique, symbolic of Venezia and have been a means of transport on waterways here for over 10 Centuries, so you really do need to do this! Gondola rides are usually €80 for a 30-40 minute ride and €100 in the evening. If this is not in your budget, or you are travelling solo like me, there are inexpensive traghetti, or gondola ferries you can take with others to cross to the other side of Canal Grande for € Best deal in town!  Look for the green ‘traghetti’ sign.  There is now a special dock at Piazzale Roma for those with mobility issues to safely get into a gondola.Scala Contarini del Bovolo Cool external 26 m multi arch spiral staircase near Piazza San Marco. It was added to the palazzo in 1499. View of rooftops, the Campanile, the cupole of San Marco and La Salute.  €8 admission Open 1000-1800 daily.

La Fenice The opera house was well named! Like the Phoenix it has risen from the ashes after being destroyed by fire 3 times, most recently in 1996. It was reopened in 2003. Admission €12 including audioguide tour.  Open 0900-1800

Visit the islands Take the vaporetto to Murano, Burano, Torcello, Lido and San Giorgio Maggiore.

Terrazza Fondaco dei Tedeschi (T Fondaco).  Tedeschi are Germans. This was the German merchants’ warehouse, then the post office, now a luxury department store. It is at the foot of Ponte Rialto, northwest end.  The rooftop terrace has panoramic views over Canal Grande. Open daily 1015-1800.  Entrance is free, reservations are required and the timeslot is only 15 minutes.  Reservations must be made on their website.

Feste: Venezia has feste all year round, most of them involve gondola races!

  • January 6th Regatta delle Befane-50 rowing club members dress up as La Befana and race from San Tomà to Ponte Rialto, where the finish line is a giant stocking hanging from the bridge!
  • February-Carnevale the 10 days before Ash Wednesday (22 Feb -4 Mar in 2025).
  • March 25th anniversary of Venezia and festa of the Annunciation
  • Biennale d’Arte held even years. 20 April-24 Nov, 2024
  • April 25 Festa di San Marco, patron Saint of Venezia
  • May-1st since the 11th Century, the Sunday after Ascension Day is Sensa, the marriage of Venezia with the sea
  • May-Vogalonga, a non-competitive 30Km rowing celebration between canals and the islands.  A peaceful protest against damage due to waves from motorboats.
  • July-the 3rd Sunday Redentore Fireworks July 20-21, 2024
  • Late August/early Sept Venice Film Festival on Lido di Venezia Aug 28-Sept7, 2024
  • September, 1st Sunday Regatta Storica
  • October Venice Marathon Oct 24, 2004 38th annual
  • November 21 Salute Celebration.  Feast of Santa Maria della Salute celebrating the end of the devastating Black plague that killed 1/3 of population
  • December 7th-lighting of tree in Piazzetta San Marco
  • December-Mercatino di Natale in Dorsoduro

Getting there and around:The main airport Marco Polo is 10 km away.  Ryanair and some other budget airlines use Treviso airport 40 km away. An airport express bus takes you to Piazzale Roma in half an hour for €10.  Then walk or take vaporetto to hotel. Alilaguna waterbus is €15 and has several stops.  Shared watertaxi is €35 per person with several stops along the 1 hour route.  Private watertaxi is much more expensive.

Train-Stazione Santa Lucia in Santa Croce area.  Walk or take vaporetto to hotel.     Car parking garage ‘Tronchetto parking’ in Piazzale Roma has a capacity of 4500 cars

Actv Vaporetto is a waterbus and an affordable way to sightsee.  Also used by residents to get around and get to work.  Single ticket one way €9.50, daypass €25. Passes for 2, 3 and 7 days are also available.  It is not necessary to buy these in advance.  With my daypass, I cruised to San Marco, then took another vaporetto at San Zaccaria (in front of Hotel Danieli) to Burano and Torcello.

Venezia is a one of the most visited destinations in the world, with over 20 million tourists per year.  It is crowded, more expensive than anywhere else in Italia, and struggling with the effects of overtourism.   Acqua Alta, high water flooding happens in late autumn to early spring.  Usually predictable and lasts only a few hours.  Read my post on MOSE.

Cannareggio

I have talked about the crowds, the lines, the expense….but do not let that put you off.  There is nowhere else like Venezia with its intricate maze of waterways, art, and unique architecture.  Around every corner is another magical scene. The entire city is an extraordinary masterpiece, so I definitely recommend visiting.  It can be compared to Santorini, which is crowded and expensive, but incredibly unique and historically rich.  My recommendation is to stay 3-4 days. In 2022, only 3.2 million visitors out of 30 million stayed overnight.

As of June 1, 2024, in an effort to decrease the effects of mass tourism, regulate huge crowds and improve life for local residents, Venezia will be trialing a €5 entry charge.   Residents, commuters, students and children under 14 will be exempt, as well as anyone who has booked an overnight stay.  Personally, I think the entry fee is too low to be effective.  Constant maintenance to prevent more water damage is expensive.  Tour groups will also be limited to 25 people (=½ the capacity of a bus) and loudspeakers are banned(yeah!!!).  Cruise ships have been banned from the lagoon since 2021 after threats from UNESCO to put it on the endangered list. That is the UNESCO equivalent to ‘the naughty list’!

Hope you all make it to Venezia at some point!  Buon viaggio, Cristina

**Photo credits: 1995 Lucia and Donato on honeymoon taken by unknown gondolier.  All other photos by me!

Ostia Antica

27 Tuesday Feb 2024

Posted by in Art history, Italia, Roma, Travel

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Ostia Antica, 30 km southwest of Rome was once a thriving town and commercially important seaport. It is now a well-preserved archeological site and at 150 hectares, one of the largest archeological parks in Europe. Founded in 620 BC to harvest sea salt at the ‘ostium’ or mouth of the Tevere (Tiber River), Ostia Antica was Rome’s first colony, a naval base and main ancient seaport.  With a population of 60,000 in the 2nd and 3rdcenturies AD, it was the hub for import of grain, olive oil, wine, marble, cloth and other goods destined for Rome.

Originally located on the coast, Ostia Antica is now 3 km inland. After the fall of Rome and barbarian raids, the port was neglected and the harbour eventually silted up. It was completely abandoned in the 9th century AD.  Sand dunes and mud covered the city, helping to preserve the ruins and mosaics for us like a time capsule from Ancient Rome.

Ostia Antica was a working class port city, as opposed to Pompeii, which was a resort getaway and playground for the rich and famous.  The ruins provide insight into regular, daily life in Ancient Rome and give us a sense of urban planning for the time.  There are well preserved cobbled streets, magnificent mosaics, temples, shops, apartment buildings, warehouses, private homes, public baths, warehouses, taverns, inns, a public laundry, theater and even a firefighting service.  The earliest identified synagogue in Western Europe (41-54 AD) was discovered in 1961.

Excavation started in the early 19th Century, but most of it was done from 1938-1942. Only 40% of the site has been excavated! There is a lot to see in Ostia Antica.  Here are some of the highlights:

Thermopolium di Via di Diana Thermopolium is Greek for ‘place where hot food is sold’.  A 3rd C ancient fast-food joint and wine bar with windows that open out onto the street and a marble take-out counter, long table to serve hot food, shelves and a courtyard with a fountain for outdoor dining. Amphorae with cheap wine were stored under the counter.  A large fresco ‘menu’ on one wall shows a plate with carrots and beans, a glass of wine, a jar of olives and large onions or pomegranates.
Customers likely topped their food with an ancient condiment called Garum.  It was a pungent rotten fish sauce and makes ketchup sound appetizing.  On the side of the Thermopolium is a single gated public toilet!

Mulino di Silvano A multiroom bakery built in 120 AD. One room has 3 intact lava millstones for grinding the grain into flour, one for kneading the flour into dough and another still has the ovens for baking the loaves.  The bread was sold on site and also transported to sell in Rome.

Teatro Ostia’s semicircular theater survives in excellent condition.  Built in the first century BC and expanded later, it is one of the oldest masonry theaters in the world.  It can seat 4,000 spectators and is still used for summer concerts.

Public Baths  There are several public baths in Ostia.   The Baths of Neptune have incredibly preserved mosaic floors of Neptune and sea creatures.  We can thank the mud that covered them for centuries!  These are often covered up in the winter to protect from the harsh weather.

Public toilets A fine example of Roman plumbing. The toilets consist of a communal marble bench along 3 walls with 20 seats. Each seat had a hole leading down towards a single drain channel fed with running water to flush away waste. Since toilet paper was not a thing yet, a sea sponge attached to a stick was kept in a bucket of saltwater or vinegar for patrons of the toilets to wipe themselves. Yuck!

Piazzale delle Corporazioni (Piazza of the Corporations/Guilds) Located behind the theater, the piazza is a large open air market square with stalls along all 4 sides. Merchants and craftsmen from all over the Mediterranean sold their goods.A small metal model of the piazzale has descriptions written in Braille and Italian.The beautiful black and white mosaics in front of the stalls advertised the goods or services being sold. Stalls included shipbuilders, ropemakers, leather tanners, sailmakers, grain and wine importers, as well as fish and food products.  One of the stalls with fish mosaics likely sold the pungent Garum fish gut sauce!

Casa di Diana A complex multifunction residential building -urban planning centuries ahead of its time.  Called an insula, this multilevel apartment has ground floor shops, accommodation for the shopkeepers on the 1stfloor and more modest accommodation on the upper floors.  A 150 AD painting of Diana was found inside.  It is possible to climb the stairs of other insulae to get to the upper floors.

A visit to Ostia Antica is a nice, half day trip from Roma, although it can be a whole day excursion if you explore more of the huge site and have lunch at one of the restaurants nearby.  Ostia Antica is grossly under visited, so it is never crowded! Bring water, a hat, sunscreen and good walking shoes.

Open Tues to Sat 8:30-4:30 in winter 8:30- 7 pm in summer. Admission fee is €18. Free admission the first Sunday of the month.  Tickets can be booked online on the official website .  A PDF guide can also be downloaded from the website.  The museum is worth seeing, but is closed at present.

Getting there by public transportation is easy and cheap: Take Metro line B (Blue line) to San Paolo (or Piramide*) metro station and take the ‘Lido’ commuter train to Ostia. Get off at ‘Ostia Antica’. The ride is 23 minutes. (Do not get off at Ostia Lido Nord or Ostia Lido Centro unless you are going to the beach!)

Use the footbridge to cross the road and walk 5-10 minutes to the main entrance of the Parco Archeologico Ostia Antica. Trains leave every 20 minutes and use the regular metro/bus tickets €1.50.

*If getting there from Piramide, walk out of the metro station and go to Porta San Paolo train station next door to find the Lido commuter train.

Buon viaggio!

Collezione Peggy Guggenheim

30 Saturday Sep 2023

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Terrace Horse, Peggy Guggenheim Collection VeniceThe Peggy Guggenheim Collection is one of the most important collections of European and North American 20th Century art.  This was on my ‘must see’ list for years. An unintentional 24 year absence from Venezia got in the way, but I finally made it!Terrace View, Peggy Guggenheim Collection Grand Canal Venice

Located in her former home, the unfinished Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Grand Canal, the museum includes Peggy Guggenheim’s personal collection and a sculpture garden. Since 1980, it is part of the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation, which includes Guggenheim museums in New York, Bilbao Spain and soon Abu Dhabi.Marino Marini L'angelo della città Guggenheim museum Venezia

Peggy Guggenheim was born in New York in 1898.  Her father, Benjamin Guggenheim, one of 7 brothers who made a fortune in mining, died heroically on the SS Titanic in 1912.  He and his valet helped women and children into lifeboats, then changed into their best clothes to ‘prepare to go down like gentlemen’.  They were last seen on deck chairs by the grand staircase sipping brandy and smoking cigars.

Peggy came into her inheritance in 1919 and devoted her time and fortune to collecting and promoting modern art.  She married Dadaist Laurence Vail and they had 2 children.  The family travelled to Europe in 1921, embracing the Parisian Bohemian and American expat scene, then moved to London in the 1930’s fleeing Nazi occupation.

A self-proclaimed ‘art addict’ and a rebel, Peggy wanted to distinguish herself from her business focused family. In 1938, she began a career which would affect the course of postwar art.  In London, she opened an art gallery called ‘Guggenheim Jeune’, focusing on contemporary art. The gallery lost a lot of money and was closed after a year, then Peggy moved back to France.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection On the Beach Picasso

On the Beach. Pablo Picasso 1937

From 1939-40, with the motto ‘buy a picture a day’, she started buying art in Paris and London like a madwoman. She purchased Cubist and Surrealist works of art when they were not yet popular or held in high regard. Purchases included masterpieces by Brancusi, Braque, Dali, Ernst, Picasso, Mondrian and others.  The Germans approached Paris just as Peggy was preparing to open a museum for her collection. In 1941 Peggy fled Nazi occupied France for New York with her ex-husband, their children and her future husband, Surrealist Max Ernst.

The Collection followed them to New York.  The Louvre was asked to shelter Peggy’s collection from the war, but the request was denied.  The now priceless artwork was crated up with ‘household goods’ written on the customs declaration, and a non-Jewish name replacing Guggenheim, then shipped across the Atlantic. Miraculously, everything arrived safely.  Peggy’s actions protected the collection, and also supported artists who were in exile and among those branded ‘degenerates’ by Hitler.

Upward 1929 Vasily Kandinsky Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice

Upward. Vasily Kandinsky 1929

‘Art of this Century’ was the Manhattan gallery Peggy opened in 1942 to exhibit her growing collection of Cubist, Abstract and Surrealist art.  She also exhibited the work of a new generation of young American artists including Robert Mapplethorpe, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Robert De Niro Sr. In 1943 the exhibit ’31 Women’ was the first documented all female exhibit in the US

Peggy closed the gallery in 1947 and decided Venezia would be her permanent home.  She was invited to exhibit her collection at the 1948 Biennale di Venezia. The Palazzo Venier dei Leoni was purchased in 1949, and Peggy lived there for 30 years.  Her art collection moved in with her, and the beautiful setting is as much a work of art as the works inside.

Marino Marini L'angelo della città Peggy Guggenheim museum Venezia

L’angelo della Città. Marino Marini Bronze 1948

The Venier family was one of the noblest Venetian families. In 1749 they ran out of money and had family issues which prevented completion of the palazzo.  Only the 1st of 5 planned stories was completed. Lion heads decorating the façade at water level give the palazzo its name. Made of Istrian stone, it is often mistaken for a modern building because of its low, wide façade.  In the late 19th century, the abandoned construction site and garden were purchased by the Levi family and began to take on their present look.  There were various other owners and renters until 1949.Venezia Peggy Guggenheim Collection Facade

From 1951 until her death in 1979, Peggy opened her home and collection to the public for free 3 afternoons a week from March to November. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection opened in 1980, managed by the Guggenheim Foundation as stipulated in her will. In 2017, Peggy’s granddaughter Karole Vail was appointed Director of the Collection.Peggy Guggenheim Collection garden sculpture Venice

The Collection has 400,000 visitors per year and includes 326 paintings and sculptures.  These include masterpieces of Cubism, Surrealism and Abstract expressionism as well as the works of prominent Italian Futurists and American modernists.  Artists represented include Giorgio de Chirico, Gino Severini, Georges Braque, Marcel Duchamp, Joan Miró, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brancusi, Alberto Giacometti, Arshile Gorky, Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Rene Magritte, Piet Mondrian, Max Ernst, Marino Marini, Jackson Pollock and others.  It is a 20th Century art history textbook come to life.Entrance, Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice

Peggy Guggenheim Collection is located in the Dorsoduro area, across the Grand Canal from Piazza San Marco.  It is between the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute and Ponte dell’Accademia.  To get there take a ‘group gondola’ across to Santa Maria della Salute for €2 then head right or cross the Ponte Rialto and head left.  Admission is €16 for adults. Hours 10-18 Closed Tuesdays and December 25th.

Ciao, Cristina

Gallerie d’Italia Napoli

26 Sunday Feb 2023

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Sant’ Orsola, Caravaggio’s last painting, has a new home! If you have read my posts Pio Monte della Misericordia and L’Ultimo Caravaggio, you know about my adventure to Napoli in search of a Caravaggio painting…only to visit the wrong one.  The ‘wrong’ one was absolutely amazing, but I still wanted to see the intended one.  In June, on my way back from Santorini, I stayed a night in Napoli so I could finally see ‘Il Martirio di Sant’ Orsola/The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula’.  It was painted in May 1610, just before Caravaggio’s death.  For hundreds of years, it was believed to be painted by one of his followers or ‘Caravaggisti’, Mattia Preti.  In 1980 a letter from the agent was found, proving that Sant’ Orsola was painted by Caravaggio.  To read more about the letter and the history of the painting, see L’Ultimo Caravaggio.

I stayed on lively Via Toledo, near the Toledo metro station and in between the port and Quartieri Spagnoli, since it was close to the 1500’s Palazzo Zavalos Stigliano.  A few weeks before my visit, the Napoletano Collection of Banca Intesa Sanpaolo moved 300 m down the street to Palazzo Piacentini at 177 Via Toledo.  Newly renovated Palazzo Piacentini is the new home of Gallerie d’Italia Napoli.  It is a 1930’s building and former home of the Banco di Napoli. The design is described as a modern vision of classical architecture and has 10,000 sq ft of exhibition space.

The atrium features L’Atlante Farnese/Farnese Atlas, a 2nd Century AD sculpture on loan from MANN (Museo Archeologico Nazionale Napoli) under an enormous starry wooden ‘sky’.  At the far end of the ground floor is an actual branch of Banca Intesa Sanpaolo! The building is home to the permanent Intesa Sanpaolo Collection, which includes Napoletani artwork and paintings from the 17th to the 20th Centuries, a Magna Grecia pottery exhibit, space for temporary exhibits, a library and bookshop, and a bistro.

The star of the permanent collection is Sant’ Orsola.  Right beside it is Artemisia Gentilleschi’s Sansone e Dalila/Samson and Delilah (1630-38).  This painting is stunning, but I had to check twice to see that it was an Artemisia.  Those teeny nail scissors are so tame compared to the usual aggression in her Judith and Holofernes paintings with a giant sword and a lot of blood! Incidentally, on the other side of Sant’ Orsola is a Judith and Holofernes painting attributed to Ludovicus Finson that is a copy of a lost Caravaggio.

A few of my other favourites from the permanent collection include this amazing loosely sketched painting Fanciulla Napoletana o La Zingara (1885) by Vincenzo Gemito.

I absolutely love the screen prints Vesuvius (rosso) and Vesuvius (nero) by Andy Warhol (1985) in the 20th Century collection.

The temporary exhibit while I was visiting was ‘Restituzioni’ featuring projects and art restoration presently funded by Intesa Sanpaolo in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture.  There were 200 pieces from all over Italia including paintings, mosaics, jewellery, books and even a giant bell!

Galleria d’Italia Napoli is walking distance from the Toledo metro station.  It is open Tuesday to Friday 10-19 and Saturday/Sunday 10-20.  Mondays closed.  The first Sunday of each month admission is free.  Admission is €7.  Reduced admission is €4 and those under age 18 get in free.  Definitely worth a visit! Ciao, CristinaMartirio di Sant'Orsola Caravaggio's last painting

 

L’ultimo Caravaggio

18 Saturday Jul 2020

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Martirio di Sant'Orsola Caravaggio's last painting410 years ago today, Caravaggio died in a tavern in Porto Ercole. This is about his last painting and the time I went to see the WRONG Caravaggio. I rarely use the words wrong and Caravaggio in the same sentence, but in this case it works.

A few years ago, I had an extremely Caravaggio’d out day in Roma.  After my visit to Galleria Borghese, I stopped in to see more Caravaggio works at Santa Maria del Popolo, then met a friend at Sant’Agostino to see the Madonna dei Pellegrini. Whew!  I ended up in a Caravaggio Coma and had the best day ever!

When my friend Romano heard I was going to Sant’Agostino, he immediately offered to meet me there.  I remember thinking this was odd, since I knew he had a full day.  As soon as we approached the painting, and he said ‘Questo è il collo più sensuale nella storia dell’arte /This is the most sensuous neck in the history of art’, I realized he was a fellow Caravaggio nerd.  This was, in fact his favourite painting.  Afterwards, we went to have caffè freddo and talked about Caravaggio for an hour!

Romano had recently been to Napoli and told me about a Caravaggio painting in a former church owned by a bank.  The bank bought the building and it came with the Caravaggio!  Whaaaaat!  I knew I had to see this Caravaggio if I was ever in Napoli.  The name or subject of the painting, and the name of the palazzo was not part of our discussion.

I usually fly home from Napoli, arriving in time to have caffè marocchino and a sflogliatella at the airport, then off I go.  2 days before my departure, I decided to arrive a day early, and spend 24 hours in Napoli.

One of the 4 things on my list to see that day was the painting Romano spoke about. I quickly googled ‘Caravaggio, Napoli, decomissioned church, bank’ and all results came to the painting ‘Sette Opere di Misericordia’/Seven Acts of Mercy’ located in Pio Monte della Misericordia.  All 4 of my ‘must see’ places were walking distance from Piazza Dante, and I booked a B&B appropriately called ‘Il Paradiso di Dante’.

Caravaggio Sette opere di misericordia Pio Monte della misericordiaI had heard of ‘Sette Opere di Misericordia’ but was not familiar with the location, where it has been hanging for over 400 years.  Pio Monte della Misericordia seemed to be a functioning church, so I suspected that something was off. I was not too concerned because it was earthshatteringly amazing, as you can tell by my happy photo.  I visited the 3 other places, ate lots of sfogliatelle and had an amazing day.  Read all about it in the post Un giorno a Napoli.

Returning to the B&B-and access to wifi- that evening, I looked it up again.  As I suspected, Pio Monte della Misericordia is a functioning church with an incredible history.  It turns out I went to see the WRONG Caravaggio!  If only all of my mistakes were this amazing!Pio Monte della MisericordiaThere are 3 Caravaggio works in Napoli.  The one Romano saw was Il Martirio di Sant’Orsola /The Martyrdom of St Orsola, Caravaggio’s last painting before his death, and only recently re attributed to him.  He may have even referred to it as ‘l’ultimo Caravaggio’, which would have been a helpful clue, but I did not remember that detail.Martirio di Sant'Orsola by Caravaggio in Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano

Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano was converted to a bank from 1898-1920 and now houses the Banca Intesa San Paolo Collection.  It was not far out of my way back to Piazza Dante, so I could have made it there if I had realized my mistake earlier.  Mannaggia!

The painting was commissioned by Marcantonio Doria, a young banker and collector from Genoa.  His stepdaughter was about to enter a religious order and take the name Suor Orsola (Sister Orsola).  Lanfranco Massa, the art agent in Napoli wrote to Doria on May 11, 1610 that the painting was finished but not yet completely dry, so he had put it out in the sun (bad idea!) and the varnish had gone a bit soft.  Massa also encouraged Doria to commission more Caravaggio works, as patrons were fighting over him and this was a good opportunity.

Caravaggio arrived in Napoli for the second time in October 1609.  Within days, his violent past caught up to him and he was brutally attacked by 4 armed men.  There were rumours he had been disfigured or killed.  His recovery was long, and he produced only 3 paintings during this time.  Sant’Orsola arrived in Genoa June 18, 1610.  Soon afterwards, Caravaggio set sail for Roma to finally receive a pardon for his murder conviction from Pope Paul V.  He died enroute in Porto Ercole on July 18th 1610 from a staph infection caused by the attack.Book cover L'ultimo Caravaggio, Martirio di Sant'Orsola

The subject of the painting, Orsola, and her 11 companions were captured by the Huns on the way back from a pilgrimage to Roma.  The companions were killed, but Attila the Hun was impressed by Orsola’s modesty and beauty.  She refused to marry him and he shot her with an arrow.  The painting captures the moment of action when the arrow strikes her. She is deathly pale as she looks down at the entry wound with a surprised expression, as if to say ‘Oh my….look…there is an arrow sticking out of my chest’.  The painting is looser and more impressionistic than usual, as if it was painted in a rush.  It is very dark, less chiaro, more scuro and does not have the divine light present in most Caravaggio works.  He was going through a difficult time, which is reflected in the darkness and mood of the painting.  One of the shocked bystanders behind Orsola is Caravaggio in his last selfie.

Caravaggio-Martirio-Sant-Orsola-2

The Doria estate eventually ended up in Napoli, bringing Sant’Orsola back home. In 1854, it was listed in the inventory of Giovanni Doria’s inheritance along with Palazzo Doria D’Angri. Caravaggio only signed one of his works. The Doria family owned this painting for 300 years-so long that over time the artist was forgotten. Oops!  Caravaggio’s influence and style defined painting in Napoli for several centuries.  During a 1963 exhibit in Napoli called ‘Caravaggio e Caravaggeschi’, Sant’Orsola was attributed to Mattia Preti (1613-1699), although several art historians believed it to be  Caravaggio’s work.  In 1973 Baronessa Avezzano sold it to Banca Intesa.

In 1980, in the Doria family archives, art historian Vincenzo Pacelli (1939-2014) found the letter from the agent which I mentioned earlier, confirming that Sant’Orsola was painted by Caravaggio. Finalmente!Martirio di Sant'Orsola Caravaggio's last painting

Palazzo Zavallos Stigliano is on Via Toledo 185, Napoli, not far from the Toledo Metro station.  Admission is €5. It is closed Mondays.  Hours Tu-F 10-18, Sat/Sun 10-20

Links: For more about the life and death of the Baroque Bad Boy – Caravaggio.

To recreate my Caravaggio coma day in Roma –Caffè con Caravaggio a Roma

I hope you found my convoluted story molto interessante!

Ciao, Cristina

The Last Medici

18 Tuesday Feb 2020

Posted by in Art, Art history, Firenze

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Anna Maria Luisa De' Medici portrait by Jan Van DouvenAnna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, the last descendant of the Medici dynasty died on February 18, 1743.  Her family of bankers had ruled Firenze on and off for over 300 years, and amassed countless art treasures. Fortunately for us, Anna Maria Luisa was a woman ahead of her time.  Knowing her family was on the verge of extinction, she made sure her family’s legacy was protected.Actress playing Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici at Palazzo Pitti

The middle child of Cosimo III de’ Medici and Marguerite d’Orleans, she was born in 1667 and had 2 brothers, Ferdinando and Gian Gastone.  Anna Maria Luisa’s parents could not stand each other.  Her mother returned to France when Anna Maria Luisa was 8 years old and never returned.

In 1691, at the age of 24, Anna Maria Luisa was married by proxy to the widowed Elector Palatine, a prince of Bavaria.  Her marriage, although arranged, was happy and she lived a comfortable life as ‘Electress Palatine’ in Dusseldorf, where she was a patroness of the arts. Anna Maria Luisa and her husband did not have any children.  It was thought until recently that he had given her syphilis.

Ferdinando and Gian Gastone were both in disastrous marriages and neither lived with his wife. Cosimo was worried about them both being without an heir.  He even had his Cardinal brother released from religious life to marry, but 2 years later, he died without children.  When Ferdinando died in 1713, Cosimo changed Tuscan law to allow a female heir, passing Medici rule to Anna Maria Luisa after Gian Gastone. He lobbied the European leaders, but they refused to accept this.

When Anna Maria Luisa’s husband died in 1716, she returned to Firenze, moving into a wing of the Palazzo Pitti.  Cosimo III died in 1723, leaving Gian Gastone to be a terrible Grand Duke of Tuscany until his death in 1737.  Despite the fact that Cosimo wanted the House of Este from Modena take over, it was decided the debt-ridden Lorraine (Lorena) family of the Austrian Hapsburg dynasty would take over the government of Tuscany.  Anna Maria Luisa had no say in the decision.

On Gian Gastone’s death, Anna Maria Luisa inherited all of the Medici personal property.  Knowing the Medici line ended with her, she was determined that her family’s possessions would not be sold off piece by piece to pay off Austrian war debts.  Anna Maria Luisa had to find a solution quickly, before the vultures swooped in!Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici signing the Patto di Famiglia

On October 31, 1737, she signed a legal contract, the Patto di Famiglia (Family Pact) leaving all of the personal property of the Medici, including the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and Medici Villas to the city upon her death.  It stipulated that none of the collection could be sold or removed from Firenze.  More specifically, it stated that the Medici collections:

‘esse rimanessero per ornamento dello Stato, per utilità del Pubblico e per attirare la curiosità dei Forestieri’  / were to be left as ornaments of the State, for use of the public and to attract the curiosity of foreigners.

If she only knew! She was unknowingly providing for her city’s future economy.

Anna Maria Luisa spent the rest of her life doing charitable work, cataloguing the inventory of her family collection and overseeing the building of the Cappella dei Principi in San Lorenzo where she was later buried. The Patto di Famiglia became active on her death February 18, 1743. In 2012 her bones were exhumed due to concerns of damage from the 1966 flood.  (Note…I am not sure why this took 46 years??).  She died of a breast tumour and there was no evidence of syphilis.

Originally designed by Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I in 1560, the Uffizi, former administrative offices (uffici means offices) of the Medici and the Archivo dello Stato was opened to the public 16 years after Anna Maria Luisa’s death.  The Uffizi Gallery now has 16 million visitors every year. Galleria degli Uffizi

In Firenze Anna Maria Luisa is known as ‘La Principessa Saggia’, the wise Princess.  She is also known and recognized for her big hair. The city of Firenze honours her each year on Oct 31st to celebrate the Patto di Famiglia with free admission to the Uffizi and on February 18th the anniversary of her death with free admission to civic museums. There is often an actress playing her at the Palazzo Pitti.  The art loving world is forever indebted to Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici.Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici sculpture Palazzo Pitti

Photos:

Portrait of Elettrice Palatina Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici by Jan Van Douven, Dusseldorf, Wikimedia

Photos of actress playing Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici at Palazzo Pitti from Filistrucchi, the manufacturers of the big-ass parrucca (wig) she is wearing!

Photo of actress playing Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici signing the Patto di Famiglia ilreporter website

Sculpture of Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici by Ivo Barbaresi 1945.  Donated to Palazzo Pitti by Fiorenza Bartolozzi 2011.

Ciao, Cristina

Pio Monte della Misericordia

11 Monday Feb 2019

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Pio Monte della Misericordia (Pious mount of mercy) is a charitable organization founded in 1601 by seven young noblemen in Napoli.  Every Friday they met at the hospital to minister to the sick.  400 years later, the organization is still in operation, assisting minors at risk, those struggling with addiction, unaccompanied migrant minors, disadvantaged families, the homeless and the terminally ill.

In 1602, the founders commissioned a small octagonal church on Via dei Tribunali. They wanted artwork to express their sense of charitable mission, which was guided by le sette opere di misericordia, the seven corporal works of mercy.  These are a set of compassionate acts concerning the material needs of others, based on the bible passage ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me.  I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me’ Matthew 25:35:36.  Bury the dead was added later and comes from another scripture.

They hired, who else but Caravaggio to paint one of the seven works of mercy for the altar of each of 7 chapels. Caravaggio was either in a big rush or feeling like a challenge, because he incorporated all 7 onto 1 canvas!  The capolavoro is one of the most important of his works, and of the 17th Century.  It still hangs in its original position above the high central altar! Seven local Caravaggio followers, including Luca Giordano, Fabrizio Santafede and Battistello Caracciolo provided paintings for the chapels.Caravaggio Sette opere di misericordia Pio Monte della misericordia

The composition is realistic, complex and dramatic. At the top of the painting, 2 angels are supporting the Madonna di Misericordia and child in the air.  The bottom half features figures carrying out the acts of mercy.  On the right, from the myth Roman Charity, Pero secretly breastfeeds her father, Cimon, after he is imprisoned and sentenced to death by starvation. (feed the hungry and visit the imprisoned).  Behind the wall of the prison, 2 men carry a shrouded body with the feet dangling out of the blanket (bury the dead). On the left, St Martin de Tours comforts the injured beggar in the foreground (comfort the sick).  He tears his cloak and gives half to the naked beggar (clothe the naked). In the background, a pilgrim with a shell in his hat asks an innkeeper for shelter (shelter the traveler) and behind them, Samson drinks from the jawbone of a donkey (give drink to the thirsty). All of this action is taking place in a dark, mysterious vicolo, an alley that could be just around the corner. Caravaggio uses his signature strong contrasts of light and dark chiaroscuro, the bright light acting as a metaphor for mercy.

Caravaggio came to Napoli with a price on his head, on the run from a murder charge. He was idolized and successful in Napoli, but he was desperate for a pardon, so after only a year, he left Napoli for Malta where he thought the Knights of St John could help him. This may explain his decision to incorporate all of the works of mercy into one painting!  As discussed in this post, it has also been confirmed that he had lead poisoning.  Caravaggio understood Napoli like no other painter and had a profound influence on the artistic scene in the city for the next few centuries.  He left behind a lot of followers-the Caravaggesque movement.

The €7 admission includes a visit to the Quadreria- Art Gallery, which contains 15th-18th Century paintings by Napoletani artists and also the original receipt for 400 ducats paid to Caravaggio.  Via dei Tribunali 253, Napoli. Open Mon-Sat 09-18, Sunday 09-14:30Pio Monte della Misericordia

Images:  Scan of Le Sette Opere di Misericordia taken from the Pio Monte della Misericordia brochure.  Photo of me with the painting taken by another visitor to the church.  He said I looked so excited he had to take my photo!