DOCSLIB.ORG

RCEWA – an Italian Baroque Cabinet by Giacomo Herman Statement Of

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
RCEWA – an Italian Baroque Cabinet by Giacomo Herman Statement Of RCEWA – An Italian Baroque Cabinet by Giacomo Herman Statement of the Expert Adviser to the Secretary of State that the cabinet meets Waverley criteria two and three. Further Information The ‘Note of Case History’ is available on the Arts Council Website: www.artscouncil.org.uk/reviewing-committee-case-hearings Please note that images and appendices referenced are not reproduced. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Brief Description of item An Italian Baroque cabinet (or ‘studiolo’) by Giacomo Herman, on an early 18th century giltwood console table. The ebony veneered cabinet is mounted with lapis lazuli, jasper and gilt bronze, together with fourteen guache miniature paintings depicting views of Rome. Within the pediment is a nocturnal clock by Giovanni Wenderlino Hessler and concealed within the base a virginal by Giovanni Battista Maberiani, dated 1676. The later table, formed of two male figures, masks and scrollwork, supports a veneered verde antico and lumachella marble top. The cabinet is surmounted by a gilt bronze equestrian figure. Height: 284cm; Width 172cm; Depth 72.5cm. 2. Context Provenance: The cabinet recorded in 1669 as one of four cabinets from the workshop of Giacomo Herman in Rome. Mrs Baston, Sunderland, sold Phillips, London, 19 September 1972. Mr & Mrs Joseph Gordon, London, sold Sotheby’s, London, 4 December 2007, lot 60 (£1,084,500). The table made for the cabinet in Rome in the early 18th century. Probably separated from the cabinet when acquired in the mid-20th century by John Bowes Morrell, York, who gave it to the York Assembly Rooms, c.1951. York Conservation Trust, sold Sotheby’s, London, 4 December 2007, with the cabinet. The gilt bronze equestrian figure recorded in a London collection, 1970, and acquired in France by Daniel Katz Limited, 1998; sold to Dr Gert-Rudolf Flick, from whom purchased in 2009 (£275,000). Exhibited: Baroque: Style in the Age of Magnificence, Victoria & Albert Museum, 2009, cat.24. 3. Waverley criteria The item meets Waverley criteria two and three. DETAILED CASE 1. Detailed description of item(s) if more than in Executive summary, and any comments. The cabinet is one of a group of four similar cabinets, apparently completed between 1669 and 1678. The other three are today housed at Rosenborg Castle, Fredensborg Castle and the Chapel of the Virgin of Loretto in Kraków. Of identical size and format, each once contained the remarkable combination of nocturnal clock and virginal. The Kraków cabinet has lost its clock and virginal, as well as a large equestrian figure and other gilt bronzes. However, the other three cabinets retain identical clocks and virginals. The virginal in the present cabinet is signed by Maberiani and dated 1676; the Rosenborg virginal is dated 1678. All three remaining clocks are signed by Hessler and are numbered consecutively 3, 4 and 5. The guache miniatures on the other three cabinets are Biblical scenes derived from Raphael’s Vatican Logge. Principally representing Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Solomon and David, no scene is repeated yet nor are the scenes distributed systematically. In contrast, the miniatures on the London cabinet depict Roman basilicas and the city-wide procession that would take place following the coronation of a new Pope. The London, Rosenborg and Fredensborg cabinets are all placed on console tables of a near identical design with similar, though not identical, marble tops. The Rosenborg and London frames are sufficiently similar to be by the same hand whereas the Fredensborg frame may be from another workshop. What is clear, however, is that all three cabinets must have been in Rome in the early 18th century when these tables were designed. Giacomo Herman (1615-85) was Rome’s leading cabinet maker during the 1660s and 1670s, documented as working for four successive popes and noble Roman families. In an account for expenses incurred on 20 November 1669 he noted that he had, by order of Cardinal Giacomo Rospigliosi, taken four large cabinets to the Palazzo del Quirinale to be inspected by the Cardinal’s uncle, Pope Clement IX. Pope Clement died two weeks later. Nevertheless, in 1680 the son of another of Clement IX’s Rospigliosi nephews inherited from his mother’s uncle, Cardinal Lazzaro Pallavicini, an ebony cabinet surmounted by an equestrian figure and containing both a clock and a virginal. In combination with the dates on the virginals, this would suggest that although Herman had substantially completed four identical cabinets in 1669, he was not able to dispose of them until the late 1670s. The Kraków cabinet appears to have been given to King Jan III Sobieski by Pope Innocent XI after the liberation of Vienna in 1683, passing to the Capucins of Warsaw in 1720. The two cabinets in Denmark, however, were purchased for the Danish Royal Collection in 1767. Although Herman’s workshop is well recorded, only a very few surviving items are documented, among them two monumental cabinets at the Palazzo Colonna. Perhaps his greatest work, signed by him in 1668, is today at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna: a large architectonic ebony and hardstone cabinet with painted scenes from the life of the Emperor Constantine. Not only does that cabinet feature a nocturnal clock (by Campani), the figure of Constantine on horseback is identical to those found on the Danish cabinets. Probably in the mid-20th century, the London cabinet was fitted with a 19th century gilt bronze figure after the Capitoline Marcus Aurelius. However, a bronze identical to those of the Herman cabinets in Denmark and Vienna was identified in a private collection in London by Alvar González-Palacios as early as 1970. This figure was re-united with the cabinet for the Baroque exhibition at the V&A in 2009 and then acquired by the present owner of the cabinet. 2. Detailed explanation of the outstanding significance of the item(s). 1. There is no close connection with our history and national life. 2. Outstanding aesthetic importance. The cabinet is one of the outstanding productions in furniture of the Italian Baroque. The work combines exceptional craftsmanship in several forms and media: the design and execution of the cabinet work itself, the nocturnal clock and virginal, and the later console which has supported the cabinet since the early 18th century. The recent addition of the Constantine figure, almost certainly only removed in the mid-20th century, has increased the value of the ensemble. The present cabinet is on a par with the Rosenborg cabinet. The Fredensborg ensemble is arguably weaker on account of the execution of the console, and the Kraków cabinet is sadly compromised. Although additional to the original design concept, the console is an exceptionally dynamic and powerful piece of carving, clearly designed to maintain the status of the treasured cabinet within a contemporary palatial setting. The figures and masks are unusually bold and expressive and the depth of the complex composition is notable. 3. Outstanding significance for the study of art, design and cultural history. An unusual degree of information surrounding the genesis of this work contributes towards its outstanding significance for the study of Baroque decorative art and cultural history. Documented work of significance from 17th century Italian workshops is so rare that items like this cabinet form the foundation of scholarly understanding in the subject. Although not signed by Herman, two of the four cabinets, including this one, are signed by the artisan Johannes Meisser of Freiburg, offering a glimpse into workshop practice. That the work was apparently produced speculatively is itself of great interest. Herman possibly sought multiple sales: to the pope, to the papacy as a potential diplomatic gift, to the cardinal-nephew Rospigliosi, and perhaps to other powerful individuals from within the inner circle of noble Roman families. What we know of Herman’s output suggests that he was part of small group of innovative craftsmen following the court’s favoured architects and designers (Bernini, Borromini, da Cortona, and J. P. Schor). In 17th century Rome, furniture was a medium which partook of new architectural ideas, an extension of the inventive spirit. Schemes ranging from church and palace interiors to carriages and festive decorations established a common language of dramatic form and narrative representation that informed the decorative arts throughout Europe. The additional significance of the studiolo as an object lay in its ability to export the baroque manner to the heart of allied courts. The diplomatic gesture was reinforced by the compliment of giving something not only rich and imposing but which also spoke to the virtue of the recipient through the inclusion of learned narrative (the miniatures and gilt-bronze mounts) and exclusive works of cultural machinery (the clock and virginal). The delight that this multi- layered luxury would evoke in use was an essential component in its exclusivity. The relative rarity today of a signed Roman virginal, and of a nocturnal clock from the period of their invention and novelty, add significantly to the interest and value of this ensemble work of art. We are today not much closer to understanding the full provenance of the cabinets than we were a decade ago. Alvar Gonzalez-Palacios has shown that one of the four cabinets was by 1680 housed in the Palazzo Pallavicini Rospigliosi. An inventory of 1682 mentions not only the clock, virginal and equestrian figure but also miniatures representing the story of Joseph, indicating that it was one of the cabinets now in Denmark. That cabinet had belonged to Cardinal Lazzaro Pallavicini, whose niece had married a further nephew of Clement IX. The exact manner and timing of the distribution of the cabinets across northern Europe remains unclear. It has been assumed that the present cabinet came to Britain during the 19th century as part of the general trade in Italian art.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Autograph Collection
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8pv6ps6 No online items Autograph Collection Mario A Gallardo, Clay Stalls William H. Hannon Library Loyola Marymount University One LMU Drive, MS 8200 Los Angeles, CA 90045-8200 Phone: (310) 338-5710 Fax: (310) 338-5895 Email: [email protected] URL: http://library.lmu.edu/ © 2015 Loyola Marymount University. All rights reserved. Autograph Collection 007 1 Autograph Collection Collection number: 007 William H. Hannon Library Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, California Processed by: Mario A Gallardo, Clay Stalls Date Completed: July 2015 Encoded by: Mario A Gallardo, Clay Stalls © 2015 Loyola Marymount University. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: Autograph collection Dates: 1578-1959 Collection number: 007 Collector: Charlotte E. Field Collection Size: 4 autograph albums Repository: Loyola Marymount University. Library. Department of Archives and Special Collections. Los Angeles, California 90045-2659 Abstract: This collection consists of autographs of ecclesiastical figures, presidents, entertainers, and other personages, from the late sixteenth century to the mid twentieth century. Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English Access Collection is open to research under the terms of use of the Department of Archives and Special Collections, Loyola Marymount University. Publication Rights Materials in the Department of Archives and Special Collections may be subject to copyright. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, Loyola Marymount University does not claim ownership of the copyright of any materials in its collections. The user or publisher must secure permission to publish from the copyright owner. Loyola Marymount University does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or of publication rights held by the original author or artists or his/her heirs, assigns, or executors.
    [Show full text]
  • Rome in Bernini's Footsteps
    Rome in Bernini’s Footsteps – La Voce di New York 11/25/17, 10:19 AM Roma bike tours - Choose the best guided tour Enjoy with us the squares, the monuments, and the streets of the genuine Rome. leadingroma.com Sections Close DONATE VNY PROUD Arts Commenta per primoShared: 6!"#$%& Rome in Bernini’s Footsteps Afer seeing ”Bernini” at the Villa Borghese, follow this itinerary to visit this exceptional artist's other masterpieces around Rome by Lucy Gordan Elephant and Obelisk by Bernini Nov 20 2017 At the Villa Borghese in Rome several of Bernini's sculptures are on permanent exhibit, but his heritage is to be found in more sites in Rome. An easier but not chronological route, which takes about 2 hours on foot (or by hopping on and off the no. 62 bus) not including visiting time, starts at the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria with his Ecstasy of St. Teresa and ends in St. Peter’s Square. Utilizziamo i cookie per offrirti servizi e informazioni in linea con le tue preferenze. Continuando a scorrere e a navigare ne consenti l'uso. OK Maggiori informazioni http://www.lavocedinewyork.com/en/arts/2017/11/20/rome-in-the-berninis-footsteps/ Page 1 of 10 Rome in Bernini’s Footsteps – La Voce di New York 11/25/17, 10:19 AM Gianlorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the most famous and important sculptor in 17th century Europe, but also a recognized architect, painter, events organizer, poet and playwright, was born in Naples on December 7, 1598 to a Mannerist sculptor, Pietro Bernini, originally from near Florence, and Angelica Galante, a Neapolitan, the sixth of their thirteen children.
    [Show full text]
  • WISHBOOK-2019.Pdf
    FRONT COVER Crivelli Madonna with Child - Carlo Crivelli XV - XVI Century Art Department pages 136 - 139 Contents 3 4 Letter from the President of the Vatican City State 94 Coronation of the Virgin with Angels and Saints 6 Letter from the Director of the Vatican Museums 98 Enthroned Madonna and Child Letter from the International Director of the 102 Saints Paola and Eustochium 8 Patrons of the Arts 106 Stories of the Passion of Christ 110 Icons from the Tower of Pope John XXIII 10 BRAMANTE COURTYARD Long-term Project Report 126 XV – XVI CENTURY ART 16 CHRISTIAN ANTIQUITIES 128 Tryptich of the Madonna and Child with Saints 18 Drawn Replicas of Christian Catacombs Paintings 132 Apse of the Church of San Pellegrino 22 GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES 136 Crivelli Madonna with Child 24 Chiaramonti Gallery Wall XlV 140 Madonna and Child with Annunciation and Saints 30 Ostia Collection: Eleven Figurative Artifacts 144 XVII – XVIII CENTURY ART AND TAPESTRIES Ostia Collection: Two Hundred and Eighty-three 34 Household Artifacts 146 Noli Me Tangere Tapestry 38 Statue of an Old Fisherman 150 Plaster Cast of the Bust of Pope Pius VII 42 Polychrome Mosaic with Geometric Pattern 154 Two Works from the Workshop of Canova 162 Portrait of Pope Clement IX 46 GREGORIAN ETRUSCAN ANTIQUITIES 166 Embroidery Drawings for Papal Vestments 48 Krater, Kylixes and Perfume Jars 52 Gold Necklaces from the Regolini-Galassi Tomb 170 XIX CENTURY AND CONTEMPORARY ART 56 Astarita Collection: Thirty-three Figurative Vases 172 Clair de Lune 60 Ceremonial Clasp from the Regolini-Galassi Tomb 176 Model of Piazza Pius XII 64 Amphora and a Hundred Fragments of Bucchero 180 HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 68 DECORATIVE ARTS 182 Two Jousting Shields 70 Rare Liturgical Objects 186 Drawing of the Pontifical Army Tabella 76 Tunic of “St.
    [Show full text]
  • PATRIOTS Writeiyour SENATORS
    hot ozn th Free Press Defense Learue to its many friends on the membership drive which I lmnnllUtlU doses April 20th will be found on the fourth page of this issue. Many of our friends are so-- This It Number 533 Ml in to win some valuable premiums, and since this is the last issue of The Menace in which will be found any reference to the contest, due to the fact that it closes before the next paper will reach you, we are going to ask that you read the announcement on the fourth page of this issue and make up your mind to give us a big lift in this mighty drive. Just as soon aa a good membership is secured in all parts of the country we have a surprise for you that will make you glad that you are a member of the greatest organization in the country devoted to the perpetuity of liberty MACE and the promotion of democracy. It is not too late to get into this contest It is never too late, in fact, to do something for the cause of humanity, and that is just what you are doing when you help Increase the membership of the Free Press Apia u, m Defense League. , AMERICA'S GREATEST EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL IN FURTHERANCE OF FUNDAMENTAL DEMOCRACY After reviewing the life of Plunkett, aijfad (oa est tha afisoiidastsj THE POPE ELEVATES A Migr. O'Riordaa spoke of the re- MULD0OH SAYS PRIEST COURT TAKES GOHROY waa stanmoatd to Aa .saw i TARE THE MEASURE ligion! struggle in the United King- to the mm IM by Kiss Conroy e oa a trunk and dom, tan out a bands of t&oxvsy which Thi Mxnaosj has oa hand sev- OF PAPALP0UTI&1A11S "MARTYRED" TRAITOR pus as a Tacnoa M'CANH IS MARRIED thousand copies of back is- ESTATEFROM PRIEST sha ffid a&a juuaded IS te tha inset, eral senne ttoae An&bishep OHrer Phmkett was sues which contain matter rust wha at the was gfro a tt WM put to deaths the eharce of treason vital and Just as much alive fiwnwtrirtitm Sua.
    [Show full text]
  • France Before the Revolution
    France Before the Revolution Chapter 4 BHMS 2016 37 Chapter 4 Copyright © 2016 by NACMS, Dayton, Ohio. All rights reserved. BHMS 2016 38 Chapter 4 Popes and Ecumenical Councils of the Modern Era Renaissance and Reformation Counter-Reformation 1492-1503 Alexander VI 1534-49 Paul III 1503-13 Julius II 1555 Marcellus II 1513-21 Leo X 1555-59 Paul IV 1522-23 Hadrian VI 1559-65 Pius IV 1523-34 Clement VII 1566-72 Pius V 1572-85 Gregory XIII 17th Century 1585-90 Sixtus V 1592-1605 Clement VIII 1590 Urban VII 1605 Leo XI 1590-91 Gregory XIV 1605-21 Paul V 1591 Innocent IX 1621-23 Gregory XV 1623-44 Urban VIII 18th Century 1644-55 Innocent X 1700-21 Clement XI 1655-67 Alexander VII 1721-24 Innocent XIII 1667-69 Clement IX 1724-30 Benedict XIII 1670-76 Clement X 1730-40 Clement XII 1676-89 Innocent XI 1740-58 Benedict XIV 1689-91 Alexander VIII 1758-69 Clement XIII 1691-1700 Innocent XII 1769-74 Clement XIV 1775-99 Pius VI 19th Century 1800-23 Pius VII 20th Century 1823-29 Leo XII 1903-14 Pius X 1829-30 Pius VIII 1914-22 Benedict XV 1831-46 Gregory XVI 1922-39 Pius XI 1846-78 Pius IX 1939-59 Pius XII 1878-1903 Leo XIII 1959-63 John XXIII 1963-78 Paul VI Ecumenical Councils 1978 John Paul I 1512-17 Lateran V 1978-2005 John Paul II 1545-64 Trent 1869-70 Vatican I 21st Century 1962-65 Vatican II 2005-2013 Benedict XVI 2013- Francis I BHMS 2016 39 Chapter 4 Rulers, Régimes, and Governments of France Modern Era - 1500-2000 The Ancien Régime The term ancien régime (literally, the “former regime”) refers to the entire period before the French Revolution, that is, before 1789.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Modern Catholic Reform and the Synod of Pistoia Shaun London Blanchard Marquette University
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations (2009 -) Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Projects Eighteenth-Century Forerunners of Vatican II: Early Modern Catholic Reform and the Synod of Pistoia Shaun London Blanchard Marquette University Recommended Citation Blanchard, Shaun London, "Eighteenth-Century Forerunners of Vatican II: Early Modern Catholic Reform and the Synod of Pistoia" (2018). Dissertations (2009 -). 774. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/774 EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FORERUNNERS OF VATICAN II: EARLY MODERN CATHOLIC REFORM AND THE SYNOD OF PISTOIA by Shaun L. Blanchard, B.A., MSt. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 2018 ABSTRACT EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FORERUNNERS OF VATICAN II: EARLY MODERN CATHOLIC REFORM AND THE SYNOD OF PISTOIA Shaun L. Blanchard Marquette University, 2018 This dissertation sheds further light on the nature of church reform and the roots of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) through a study of eighteenth-century Catholic reformers who anticipated Vatican II. The most striking of these examples is the Synod of Pistoia (1786), the high-water mark of “late Jansenism.” Most of the reforms of the Synod were harshly condemned by Pope Pius VI in the Bull Auctorem fidei (1794), and late Jansenism was totally discredited in the increasingly ultramontane nineteenth-century Catholic Church. Nevertheless, many of the reforms implicit or explicit in the Pistoian agenda – such as an exaltation of the role of bishops, an emphasis on infallibility as a gift to the entire church, religious liberty, a simpler and more comprehensible liturgy that incorporates the vernacular, and the encouragement of lay Bible reading and Christocentric devotions – were officially promulgated at Vatican II.
    [Show full text]
  • Cardinal Johann Eberhard Nithard (1607–81)
    journal of jesuit studies 7 (2020) 545-569 brill.com/jjs A Failed Politician, a Disputed Jesuit: Cardinal Johann Eberhard Nithard (1607–81) Miguel Córdoba Salmerón Facultad de Teología de Granada, Granada, Spain [email protected] Abstract One of the most controversial Jesuit cardinals was Johann Eberhard Nithard, not only because of the intriguing circumstances of his promotion, but also because he was a favorite of Queen Mariana of Austria, regent of Spain and mother of King Charles ii. The aim of this essay is to examine a series of events in Nithard’s life, focusing in par- ticular on the details surrounding his consecration as bishop and creation as cardi- nal. This task is performed through an analysis of various sources, many of which— including the Jesuit ones—have been responsible for forging Nithard’s black legend, which resulted in his eventual expulsion from Spain and in distorted narratives of his- torians of Nithard’s role in the church and state politics in the seventeenth century. Keywords Spanish Embassy Rome – Jesuit cardinal – Johann Eberhard Nithard – diplomacy – Catholic Church – seventeenth century Who was Johann Eberhard Nithard (1607–81)? Who was this royal favorite (va- lido) of Regent Mariana of Austria (1665–75)? Who was this Jesuit who became a cardinal? The way in which we answer these questions ultimately depends on the sources we consult, many of which have been responsible for forging Nithard’s black legend, the source of his eventual expulsion from Spain. In- deed, so well-articulated is this black legend in the sources that many scholars, and even some Jesuits, have simply taken it for granted, thus explaining its per- sistence up to the present day.
    [Show full text]
  • E:\Vatican-Archives Secrètes\05Asvsegreteria Di Stato, Lett. Di
    Segreteria di Stato, Lettere di Vescovi Segreteria di Stato, Lettere di Vescovi, VOL. 20 (1612-1613), fol. 366r-371v, 372v, ITEM(S) 36 Rome 1612 LANGUAGE OF DOCUMENT: Spanish AUTHOR: Antonio Detrejs [Trejo i Paniagua] RECIPIENT: Pope Paul V A signed report from Antonio Detrejs [Trejo i Paniagua], Father General of the Franciscans of Spain, addressed to the Pope [Paul V] and concerned with the activities of his order in the "Indies". The author describes missionary work and the establishment of missions in Haiti, "New Spain", Florida, Guadalupe, the "province of Mexico" including "New Mexico", San Salvador, "the province of the Philippines", various places in Japan, Peru, Paraguay, and Chile. A very brief summary of the report was compiled in Italian on f. 372v. [r of 372 is B]. Segreteria di Stato, Lettere di Vescovi, VOL. 44 (1659), fol. 244r-245r, ITEM(S) 37 Québec 1659, July, 31 LANGUAGE OF DOCUMENT: Latin AUTHOR: Bp. of Petraea [Laval] RECIPIENT: Pope Alexander VII LS., the bp. of Petraea [Laval], vicar apostolic in Canada, to the Pope [Alexander VII]: the writer describes his voyage to New France with a stop amongst fishermen off the coast [of Newfoundland ?] and then the trip up the St. Lawrence to Québec [arrived 17 June 1659]. Laval praises the activities of Jesuits and their proselytizing zeal amongst "barbarians" and also discusses the efforts of the abp. of Rouen [Harlay] against the authority of the Holy See before Laval's departure from France and the presence of Queylus [Thubières] in Québec. [v of 245 is B]. Segreteria di Stato, Lettere di Vescovi, VOL.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theater of Piety: Sacred Operas for the Barberini Family In
    The Theater of Piety: Sacred Operas for the Barberini Family (Rome, 1632-1643) Virginia Christy Lamothe A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Music. Chapel Hill 2009 Approved by: Tim Carter, chair Annegret Fauser Anne MacNeil John Nádas Jocelyn Neal © 2009 Virginia Christy Lamothe ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii Abstract Virginia Christy Lamothe: “The Theater of Piety: Sacred Operas for the Barberini Family (Rome, 1632-1643)” (Under the direction of Tim Carter) In a time of religious war, plague, and reformation, Pope Urban VIII and his cardinal- nephews Antonio and Francesco Barberini sought to establish the authority of the Catholic Church by inspiring audiences of Rome with visions of the heroic deeds of saints. One way in which they did this was by commissioning operas based on the lives of saints from the poet Giulio Rospigliosi (later Pope Clement IX), and papal musicians Stefano Landi and Virgilio Mazzocchi. Aside from the merit of providing an in-depth look at four of these little-known works, Sant’Alessio (1632, 1634), Santi Didimo e Teodora (1635), San Bonifatio (1638), and Sant’Eustachio (1643), this dissertation also discusses how these operas reveal changing ideas of faith, civic pride, death and salvation, education, and the role of women during the first half of the seventeenth century. The analysis of the music and the drama stems from studies of the surviving manuscript scores, libretti, payment records and letters about the first performances.
    [Show full text]
  • THE BAROQUE PAPACY Ary Papal Court, the Roman Curia and the Papal State Were Constructed
    is work leads the reader into one of the most exciting chapters of the history of the papacy. It delineates the behaviour and dilemmas of ❧ Rome in the ghts against the Turks, in the irty Years’ War, and in ) the struggles with the Protestants and the numerous con icts with the éter usor Catholic States. In addition, the book describes in detail the rst real example of globalisation, namely the worldwide spread of missions, in addition to providing accounts of the formation of new religious move- – ments, Galileo’s trial and the ordeals of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin ( Mary. Furthermore, the chapters o er insights into the nature of papal nepotism, how the Roman inquisition worked, and how the contempor- THE BAROQUE PAPACY ary papal court, the Roman Curia and the Papal State were constructed. (–) Péter Tusor, PhD, DSc, was born in 1967. He is currently an Associate Professor at the Institute of History at the Péter Pázmány Catholic Uni- versity and a Research Group Leader at the Hungarian Academy of Sci- ences. THE BAROQUE PAPACY THE BAROQUE ISBN 978-88-7853-715-6 éter usor 9 788878 537156 , Sette Città Barokk pápaság.indb 2 2016.05.24. 9:52:59 Péter Tusor THE BAROQUE PAPACY (1600–1700) Sette Città 2016 Barokk pápaság.indb 3 2016.05.24. 9:52:59 All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form, storage or transcription by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or in any other ways, including movie, radio, television or internet) is prohibited without the written permission of the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • Pope to Visit Thailand, Japan in November
    Pope to visit Thailand, Japan in November VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will finally fulfill his desire to be a missionary to Japan when he visits the country, as well as Thailand, Nov. 20-26, the Vatican announced. Pope Francis will leave Rome Nov. 19, arriving in Thailand for a visit Nov. 20-23, said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. He will then fly to Japan and visit Tokyo, Nagasaki and Hiroshima Nov. 23-26, Bruni said Sept. 13. Further details about the trip and an exact schedule were to be released later. The bishops of Thailand have chosen the motto: “Christ’s Disciples … Missionary Disciples” as the theme for the visit to their country. The visit, they said, will mark the 350th anniversary of the “Apostolic Vicariate of Siam Mission.” The special website launched for the visit said that, with the establishment of the vicariate by Pope Clement IX in 1669, “Roman Catholicism was permanently established in Thailand.” This year also marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Thailand and the Holy See in 1969, and the 35th anniversary of the last papal visit to Thailand, which was made by St. Pope John Paul II in 1984, the website said. For their visit, the bishops of Japan chose the theme, “Protect all Life,” drawing the phrase from a prayer written by Pope Francis and included in his encyclical, “Laudato Si'” on the protection of creation. “In order to ‘protect all life,’ we must respect not only each person’s dignity but also the environment,” the bishops said.
    [Show full text]
  • Santa Maria Maggiore St Mary Major
    Santa Maria Maggiore St Mary Major Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore Santa Maria Maggiore is a 5th century papal basilica, located in the rione Monti. and is notable for its extensive Early Christian mosaics. The basilica is built on the summit of the Esquiline hill, which was once a commanding position. (1) (i)! History Ancient times The church is on the ancient Cispius, the main summit of the Esquiline Hill, which in ancient times was not a heavily built-up area. Near the site had been a Roman temple dedicated to a goddess of childbirth, Juno Lucina, much frequented by women in late pregnancy. Archaeological investigations under the basilica between 1966 and 1971 revealed a 1st century building, it seems to have belonged to a villa complex of the Neratii family. (1) (k) Liberian Basilica - Foundation legend - Civil war According to the Liber Pontificalis, this first church (the so-called Basilica Liberiana or "Liberian Basilica") was founded in the August 5, 358 by Pope Liberius. According to the legend that dates from 1288 A.D., the work was financed by a Roman patrician John, and his wife. They were childless, and so had decided to leave their fortune to the Blessed Virgin. She appeared to them in a dream, and to Pope Liberius, and told them to build a church in her honor on a site outlined by a miraculous snowfall, which occurred in August (traditionally in 358). Such a patch of snow was found on the summit of the Esquiline the following morning. The pope traced the outline of the church with his stick in the snow, and so the church was built.
    [Show full text]