THE HARVARD UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ITALIAN RENAISSANCE STUDIES VIL L A I TAT T I Via di Vincigliata 26, 50135 Florence, Italy
VOLUME 27 E-mail: [email protected] / Web: http://www.itatti.it D D D Tel: +39 055 603 251 / Fax: +39 055 603 383 AUTUMN 2007
Letter from Florence an Giovanni fi nds me once again to deliver the Berenson Lectures. The S sitting on the Berenson bench in book based on them, Friendship, Trust the garden, wondering how the year has and Fidelity in Renaissance Florence, will managed to speed by so fast. It seems just be published by Harvard University yesterday that we were fêting the arrival Press in 2008. It will be a worthy sequel of the new Fellows with a concert in to Edward Muir’s (VIT’73) Berenson the Big Library by four lovely young Lectures of 2006, The Culture Wars of harpsichordists from Moscow. In late the Late Renaissance: Skeptics, Libertines, and September the Fellows went on a trip Opera, which appeared earlier this year. to the Mantegna exhibitions in Padua, In the spring our Visiting Verona and Mantua. It was still bright Professors included John Law, still autumn weather when we awarded the Scottish after years in Wales, who I Tatti Mongan Prize to Paola Barocchi, enriched the community with his vast the dean of Vasari studies and master knowledge of Renaissance history and of the sources, digitized and printed, and Doris Carl (VIT’95) to combine of that burgeoning fi eld, the Renaissance of Renaissance art. She reminisced erudition and pleasure on a day-long visit in the nineteenth century; Daniel Javitch, movingly about a walk in the garden to the fresco cycles of San Gimignano. who added literary depth and lectured on sixty years earlier with the sage of I Tatti Nicholas Eckstein, nearing completion of Ariosto’s delicate interweaving of classical and his ironical but encouraging advice. his own work on the Cappella Brancacci, literature and the world of romance; and But then time sped up dizzyingly, rushing brought the Fellows to the Carmine for James Hankins and Virginia Brown, who faster and faster through Thanksgiving a memorable visit, putting art back into were genial hosts in the Casa Morrill. and Christmas, through three visits to the context of neighborhood. Deborah In April Jim organized a conference America and one to Slovenia and two Howard crossed the Atlantic to address jointly with the Istituto Nazionale di to Hungary, when suddenly I found the I Tatti family in New York on the Studi sul Rinascimento celebrating myself on a beautiful spring morning Metropolitan Museum exhibition, Venice the publication of the fi nal volume of welcoming James Ackerman back to and the Islamic World. But she also allowed Marsilio Ficino’s Platonic Theology I Tatti for a short stay, and hearing about us to sit in on the acoustical experiments for the I Tatti Renaissance Library. It was his visit to B.B., not quite sixty years ago, that she conducted in Venice, when the an occasion to offer tribute to Michael to ask for advice on his thesis. (“Now that choir of St. John’s College Cambridge Allen, the genial Shakespearian who saw you’re in Italy, work on something that came to sing in a dozen churches, in this Everest of a translation through all you can see.”) every conceivable position, from choir fi ve volumes. Visiting Professors enlivened to barca to space under the cupola. Never The spring saw a grand pile-up the year and got us out into the wider will I be able to visit those churches on the foggy autostrada of conferences, as world. On an unforgettable October again without thinking of those sublime we took up opportunities that were too Monday the Uffi zi was opened just for moments of sound. In April Guido good to be missed. In May, working with us and Henk van Os took us to the Siena Beltramini, Director of the Centro Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi of the Bargello, rooms to refl ect on the historiography Palladio in Vicenza, offered a fascinating and Alessandro Nova and Gerhard Wolf of Sienese art over the half-century visit to villas of Renaissance humanists of the Kunsthistorisches Institut, I Tatti (nearly) that he had been working in the Veneto. joined in on a three-day conference on on it, exchanging ideas with curator Dale Kent was Visiting Pro- Desiderio da Settignano, the Vermeer of Alessandro Cecchi and with Machtelt fessor in the fall and returned in March Renaissance sculpture, to accompany Israëls (VIT’05). Henk later teamed Continued on back page. up with Eve Borsook (VIT’82-’08)
CAMBRIDGE OFFICE: Villa I Tatti, Harvard University, 124 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-5762 Tel: +1 617 496 8724 or +1 617 495 8042 / Fax: +1 617 495 8041 / Web: http://www.itatti.it Visiting Professors VIRGINIA BROWN (2nd sem), Lila Wallace - Reader’s Digest Visiting Professor, Pontifi cal Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Literature. Fellows MONIQUE O’CONNELL, Melville J. Kahn “Impact of Antiquity on the Middle Ages GÁBOR A LMÁSI (2nd sem), Andrew W. Mellon Fellow, Wake Forest University, History. and Renaissance.” Research Fellow, Hapsburg Historical “Venice’s Maritime Empire: Confl ict and NICHOLAS ECKSTEIN (1st sem), Robert Institute, Literature. “The Humanist and Negotiation in the Renaissance.” Lehman Visiting Professor, University of his Dog: the Social and Anthropological VALENTINA PROSPERI, Andrew W. Mellon Sydney, History. “The Cultural History Aspects of Scholarly Dog-Keeping in the Fellow, Università di Sassari, Literature. of the Brancacci Chapel: Confraternities Italian Renaissance.” “The War of Troy from Antiquity to the and Communities in 16th-Century JOSKO BELAMARIC (2nd sem), Craig Hugh Renaissance.” Florence.” nd Smyth Visiting Fellow, Croatian Ministry HELENA SERAZIN (2nd sem), I Tatti Research JAMES HANKINS (2 sem), Lila Wallace - of Culture, Art History. “The Protagonist, Fellow, France Stele Institute of Art Reader’s Digest Visiting Professor, Harvard 2 the Project and the Iconographic History, Slovenia, Art History. “The University, History. “Repertorium Programme of the Chapel of the Blessed Circle of Baldassare Peruzzi between Brunianum: A Guide to the Writings of John in Trogir.” Italy and Central-East Europe: The Leonardo Bruni, vol. 2.” nd GIORGIO CARAVALE, Lila Wallace - Diffusion of the Inventions in Late DEBORAH HOWARD (2 sem), Robert Reader’s Digest Fellow, Università di Renaissance Military Architecture.” Lehman Visiting Professor, University of Roma “La Sapienza,” Musicology. “Dal SAMO STEFANAC (2nd sem), I Tatti Research Cambridge, Art History. “Architecture Rinascimento fi orentino all’irenismo Fellow, University of Ljubljana, Art and Music in Renaissance Venice” and europeo: Francesco Pucci e la ‘terza via’ History. “A Monograph on Niccolò “State Building Projects in Late 16th italiana alla Riforma.” di Giovanni Fiorentino, Architect and Century Venice.” nd FEDERICA CICCOLELLA, Francesco De Sculptor.” DANIEL JAVITCH (2 sem), Lila Wallace - Dombrowski Fellow, Texas A & M ELEONORA STOPPINO, Ahmanson Fellow, Reader’s Digest Visiting Professor, New York University, Literature. “Greek Grammars, University of Illinois, Literature. “The University, Literature. “A Collection of Schoolbooks, and Elementary Readings Travelers’ Library: Early Modern Essays on Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso.” in the Italian Renaissance.” Exploration and Italian Popular Epic.” DALE V. K ENT (1st sem), Lila Wallace MICHAEL COLE, Robert Lehman Fellow, T. B ARTON T HURBER, (1 st sem), Craig Hugh - Reader’s Digest Visiting Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Art Smyth Visiting Fellow, Hood Museum of University of California, Riverside, History. “The Art and Architecture of Art, Dartmouth College, Art History. “ Art, History. “Friendship, Love and Fidelity Giambologna and his Circle.” Architecture and Religious Confl ict in in Renaissance Florence.” nd IPPOLITA DI MAJO, Hanna Kiel Fellow, Villa Counter-Reformation Bologna.” JOHN E. LAW (2 sem), Lila Wallace - I Tatti, Art History. “Il mecenatismo di ELENA V ALERI, Jean-François Malle Fellow, Reader’s Digest Visiting Professor, University Alfonso d’Avalos (1509-1546).” Università di Roma “La Sapienza,” of Wales, Swansea, History. “The Urban ERIC DURSTELER, Committee to Rescue History. “Storia civile e storia ecclesiastica: Lordship – the signorie – of Early Italian Art Fellow, Brigham Young la rappresentazione dell’Italia nella Renaissance Italy.” University, History. “The Experience storiografi a del Rinascimento.” HENK VAN OS (1st sem), Lila Wallace - of Renegade Women as a Window into MAUDE VANHAELEN, Deborah Loeb Brice Reader’s Digest Visiting Professor, University Gender and Religious Identity in the Fellow, University of Warwick, Literature. of Amsterdam, Art History. “Refl ections Early Modern Mediterranean.” “Mysticism and Reason in Quattrocento on 50 Years of Art History of Sienese MORTEN HANSEN, Hanna Kiel Fellow, Florence: Ficino’s and Pico’s doctrines of Painting.” University of Copenhagen, Art History. philosophical Raptus.” Research Associate “The Imitation of Michelangelo in MATTHEW VESTER, Florence J. Gould Fellow, INGRID BAUMGÄRTNER (2nd sem), Sixteenth-Century Italy.” West Virginia University, History. “The Universität Kassel, History. “Cartography WENDY HELLER, Frederick Burkhardt Geography of Political Culture in the and Travel Reports in the Late Middle Residential Fellow, Princeton University, Early Modern Alps.” Ages.” Musicology. “Baroque Dramatic Music GIOVANNI ZANOVELLO, Francesco De and the Uses of Antiquity.” Dombrowski Fellow, Università di Padova, Senior Research Associates ESTELLE LINGO, Rush H. Kress Fellow, Musicology. “Investigation of Music, EVE BORSOOK, Villa I Tatti, Art History. University of Washington at Seattle, Art Ritual, and Politics at Santissima “Medieval Mosaic Technology.” History. “Sculptural Form and Reform: Annunziata.” ALLEN GRIECO, Villa I Tatti, History. “A Francesco Mochi and the Edge of Social and Cultural History of Alimentary Tradition.” Readers in Renaissance Studies Habits in Renaissance Italy.” st ANDREA MOZZATO, Lila Wallace - Reader’s DAVID KIM (1 sem), Harvard University, MARGARET HAINES, Opera di Santa Digest Fellow, Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Art History. Maria del Fiore, Art History. “Online Lettere ed Arti, History. “Storia della EVAN A. MACCARTHY (2nd sem), Harvard Digital Edition of the Sources of the ditta di Agostino Altucci, speziale e University, Musicology. Archive of Santa Maria del Fiore in the mercante tra Venezia, Firenze ed Arezzo Cupola Period.” nella seconda metà del XV secolo. Aspetti MICHAEL ROCKE, Villa I Tatti, History. sociali ed economici.” “Edition and Translation of Italian Texts related to Homoeroticism (14th-17th centuries).”
VILLA I TATTI The Scholars’ Court Project
rchitect Charles Brickbauer working with Ziger/Snead A LLP of Baltimore will be at I Tatti in September for pre- construction meetings with the Italian consultants and the builder, in advance of the actual construction of the Deborah Loeb Brice Loggiato which should begin before the end of the calendar year. On the basis of Brickbauer’s completed construction drawings, bills of quantities have been prepared and translated into Italian according to local specifi cations. Some fi rms have already received a copy and others will soon. Brickbauer, in the course of the same trip, will also In the late spring the authorities fi nally granted be approving samples of building permission for the creation of a temporary road to the building materials. site which was essential for going ahead with foundation Hence, in preparation for and construction work. Heavy trucks, excavators, micropole construction, site work continues machines, cement mixers and large pieces of equipment could apace. The last edition of the not have accessed the building site through gate 22 on Via di Newsletter told of the demolition Vincigliata. Presently there is a temporary gate to the building of the old garage and tractor shed site. It is hoped that with time the authorities will see that a on the parking lot and the tearing landscaped version of this gate and road can be allowed to remain down of the dilapidated green- as otherwise there will be serious parking problems, and access house and garden buildings in the to I Tatti’s fi elds to the north will be impossible. historic gardens just below where The building site has presented various problems of the southern end of the Loggiato stability because it is on unconsolidated landfi ll built up over will be. Since then much of the the last hundred years. But our able collaborators are fi nding wiring which brings power to the whole institution from the ways to solve these problems. Currently, 12- to 15-meter-long Villa’s power transforming station adjacent to the building site micropoles are being drilled deep into the ground around the has been permanently rerouted so that all systems (HVAC, perimeter of where the Loggiato will be constructed. More security, computer, light, power) have continued to operate micropoles will go under the southern wall of the Loggiato without interruption. This required extensive excavation in the that separates the Scholars’ Court area from the historic gardens. fi elds, in the gardens, into the bowels of the Villa to the power These two areas will be joined by an elegant staircase designed distribution center. All this was done with the attention, care and by Charles Brickbauer which will relieve the library of the skill of the many companies that have long worked for I Tatti. traffi c and noise generated by visitors and workmen. Most of Simultaneously the same painstaking work was done for the the authorities have approved this plan. We await the last permit water supply lines, drainage systems, septic systems and gas lines. from the city of Fiesole. Only a very minimal part of this intricate work is temporary. The city of Florence, after nine months, in July granted permission to open temporary parking in a fi eld below I Tatti. This is necessary because parking inside gate 22 is now very limited while use of the center continues uninterrupted. Rumors (hopefully not idle) from those who stay close to the building site say that once construction of the building itself begins, it will take 18 months to reach completion. So save a tentative date for June 2009? Nelda Ferace Assistant Director for Special Projects
AUTUMN 2007 THE BIBLIOTECA BERENSOn
everal projects engaged the library this system, which has many S year that will have a major impact features that will facilitate and on its future development and on the enrich the work of the library accessibility of its collections. First, staff and will have many we are very pleased to announce that pay-offs for library users the library’s bibliographic holdings as well. By late August all and all of its operations are being the records of the Berenson integrated completely into the Harvard Library’s bibliographic University Library system. As the library holdings will be visible 4 of the Harvard Center, the Biblioteca online in Harvard’s HOLLIS Berenson has always been formally catalogue. The library will affi liated with the University’s Library. remain an active partner in Since 1993 it has also been part of the the IRIS consortium, and Florentine IRIS consortium and has regular exports of data from operated in the context of its union the Harvard system will keep Joeseph & Françoise Connors fl ank catalogue. Physical distance fi rst, and its holdings up-to-date also Ippolita di Majo & Henk van Os. slow Internet connections later, made in IRIS’s online catalogue. full integration in the University Library HOLLIS will henceforth be system inconceivable before now. Today’s the library’s default catalogue, however. Bologna. The cataloguing team includes high-speed data transmission lines and This will offer numerous advantages two other new members. Elisabetta other technological advances have fi nally to researchers, above all to current Cunsolo also holds a doctorate in art made it possible for the Berenson Library I Tatti appointees and other on-site users history from the University of Bologna to realize its “natural” institutional who have unlimited access to Harvard’s (2004), and has extensive experience as a assimilation into the Harvard University exceptional range of electronic resources, photograph cataloguer at the Fondazione Library. Made up of nearly ninety while all will benefi t from the University Zeri as well as at other museums in libraries, Harvard’s is the largest academic Library’s commitment to developing Bologna and Bergamo. Monica Steletti, library in the world. Its extraordinary and implementing new technologies for who holds a Master’s in Women’s Studies collections include nearly 16 million discovery and access. from the Università Federico II in Naples books, 8 million photographs, millions A second important project (2001), is currently enrolled in the Library of manuscript pages, recordings, maps, began this year to catalogue and, we Science program at the Università di Pisa, ephemera, and a rapidly expanding hope, eventually to digitize a small but and has years of experience in book number of digital resources. signifi cant group of photographs held cataloguing at Widener Library (Harvard) In preparation throughout the in the Fototeca, thanks to a grant from and at Casalini Libri in Florence. Her spring, the process of integration will the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This excellent knowledge of English and be complete by summer’s end. Already represents the fi rst initiative ever by the of international cataloguing practices all of our acquisitions, cataloguing, and Biblioteca Berenson to inventory or and standards are indispensable for our fi nancial operations are being carried catalogue the photographs in this unique project. out in the University’s integrated library collection. We envision it as the initial Finally, during the course of step in what should become a long- the year we began laying plans to range endeavor to catalogue the renovate part of the library complex, the entire photograph archive. You may read more about this undertaking in the description of it in these pages by Valentina Branchini, the excellent project manager we hired to plan, implement, and supervise the project. Valentina holds a doctorate in art history from the University of Bologna (2004), and for fi ve years, before joining our staff, she worked as assistant Giorgio Caravale, Michael Cole, Ippolita di Majo, curator of the Photograph Archive Nora Stoppino & Elena Valeri. of the Fondazione Federico Zeri in Federica Ciccolella.
VILLA I TATTI Lila Acheson Wallace – Reader’s Digest two-story wing added in the 1950s Special Grants adjacent to the older “monumental” nucleus of the library. Unfortunately, the ormer I Tatti Appointees are eligible to apply for two kinds of grants to promote delay in building the Loggiato has pushed F their scholarship. the successive phase of the Scholars’ LILA ACHESON WALLACE – READER’S DIGEST PUBLICATION GRANTS provide Court project – the new Fototeca/ subsidies for scholarly books on the Italian Renaissance. These can be a monograph Library building – that much farther into by a single author or a pair of authors, or a collection of essays by autori varii. Books the future, and consequently the lack that grow directly out of research carried out at I Tatti are especially appropriate. In addition, SPECIAL PROJECT GRANTS are occasionally available to former of adequate shelving space has grown Appointees who wish to initiate, promote, or engage in an interdiciplinary project critical once again. I Tatti has engaged in Italian Renaissance studies such as a conference or workshop. the Rome-based fi rm Garofalo Miura Recipients are chosen by a committee of senior Renaissance scholars, plus Architetti, which among other things the Director acting as chairman. The applicant’s covering letter should include a is responsible for the recent handsome brief project description, a budget, and a short list of publications since the I Tatti expansion and renovation of the library appointment. The application deadline is 1 October each year. of the British School at Rome, to plan For publications grants, the book must already be accepted by a publisher, who and carry out this project, which aims at should write a letter describing the planned publication and giving precise fi gures maximizing shelf space and modernizing for the print run and cost. The publisher’s letter is quite important; cursory letters services throughout this wing of the only a few lines long that merely affi rm acceptance of a manuscript will not be library. We are still in a preliminary considered. If a former Appointee has fi nished a manuscript but the relationship with the publisher is still tentative, he or she should wait until there is a fi rm planning phase, but we expect work to contract before applying. begin probably by the end of the year Grants can also be made for translating books, though since funds are limited, and to last at least through next summer. direct publication subsidies will take priority. The library will remain open during this Publications grants can assume two forms. They can be made directly to the period and we will make every effort to publisher in order to ensure a higher quality of publication or a lower list price. keep all books accessible. More details The publisher should explain exactly how this would happen in the letter. Grants will be announced on the I Tatti web can also be made to an individual to reimburse expenses for photographs and site as the project progresses. reproduction rights. It is also possible to split a grant, earmarking some for the With all of its positive features, publisher and the rest for reimbursement of personal expenses. this year the library and all of I Tatti also Applications for the publication of fi rst books or collected essays may fi nd suffered a terrible, poignant tragedy with $4,000 to $5,000 a good target fi gure, but for major, expensive books that are the fruit of long years of research the subsidy can go as high as $8,000. Since repeated the untimely loss of our much-loved grants will be very rare, Appointees should wait until they are publishing a substantial colleague Stefano Corsi. A man of many book to apply. gifts, Stefano was a fundamental part of the library’s professional team as well 2006/2007 LILA A CHESON W ALLACE – READER’S as a good friend to all. Others will pay DIGEST GRANT RECIPIENTS: tribute to him elsewhere in these pages. I will limit myself to observing that he CAMMY BROTHERS (VIT’02) towards the was highly esteemed, is intensely missed, publication of Michelangelo, Drawing, and the and will always remain embedded in Invention of Architecture. our hearts. CHRISTOPHER S. CELENZA (VIT’00) towards the Michael Rocke translation of two studies by Salvatore Camporeale: Valentina Prosperi. Nicky Mariano Librarian of the Lorenzo Valla tra medioevo e rinascimento. Encomion s. Thomae, 1457 and Lorenzo Valla Biblioteca Berenson e “il De Falso credita donatione”: Retorica, libertà ed ecclesiologia nel ‘400. SARA GALLETTI (VIT’06) towards the publication of Marie de Médicis et le Palais du Luxembourg, 1611-1641. SARA MATTHEWS GRIECO (VIT’94) towards the publication of The Erotic Cultures of Renaissance Italy. FABRIZIO NEVOLA (VIT’05) towards the publication of Architecture and Government in Renaissance Siena. Fashioning Urban Experience (1400-1555). LUKE SYSON (VIT’06) towards the publication of Renaissance Siena: Art for a City. MICHAEL W. W YATT (VIT’05) towards the publication of Writing Relations, American Scholars in Italian Archives – Essays for Franca Nardelli and Armando Petrucci.
AUTUMN 2007 RECENT ACQUISITIONS BOOKS BY FORMER FELLOWS mong the many recent additions to the Library, whether purchased by one of the endowed book funds, from donations given A by the Friends of the Biblioteca Berenson, or given directly, are the following recent publications by former Fellows. We are delighted that this list seems to grow each year, but as space is very limited, please forgive us if your volume is not listed or the title has been abbreviated.
FRANCES ANDREWS (VIT’05). The Other Olivier Bonfait, PHILIPPE COSTAMAGNA JANEZ HÖFLER (VIT’87) & Frank Büttner. Friars: The Carmelite, Augustinian, Sack and (VIT’99), Monica Preti-Hamard eds. Bayern und Slowenien im Zeitalter des Pied Friars in the Middle Ages. Woodbridge: Le goût pour la peinture italienne autour de Barock: Architektur, Skulptur, Malerei: zweites 6 Boydell Press, 2006. 1800: prédécesseurs, modèles et concurrents slowenisch-bayerisches kunstgeschichtliches LAWRIN ARMSTRONG (VIT’00), Ivana du Cardinal Fesch: actes du colloque, Ajaccio, Kolloquium. Regensburg: Schnell & Elbl, Martin M. Elbl eds. Money, Markets 1 - 4 mars 2005. Ajaccio: Musée Fesch, Steiner, 2006. and Trade in Late Medieval Europe: Essays 2006. STEFANO JOSSA (VIT’03). L’Italia letteraria. in Honour of John H. A. Munro. Leiden; STEFANO DALL’AGLIO (VIT’06). Savonarola Bologna: Il Mulino, 2006. Boston: Brill, 2007. in Francia: circolazione di un’eredità politico- DALE V. K ENT (VIT’78,’83,’07). Il INGRID BAUMGÄRTNER (VIT’07,’08). religiosa nell’Europa del Cinquecento. committente e le arti: Cosimo de’ Medici e Martinus Garatus Laudensis: ein italienischer Torino: N. Aragno, 2006. il Rinascimento fi orentino. Milano: Electa, Rechtsgelehrter des 15. Jahrhunderts. Köln; DARIO DEL PUPPO (VIT’98) & LORENZO 2005. Wien: Böhlau, 1986. FABBRI (VIT’98) eds. Tommaso Rimbotti, VICTORIA KIRKHAM (VIT’78,’89,’96). 1565-1622. Rime. Firenze: L. S. Olschki, Dante the Book Glutton, or, Food for 2005. Thought from Italian Poets. Binghamton, CAROLINE ELAM (VIT’82,’05) ed. Roger NY: CEMERS, SUNY Binghamton, Eliot Fry, 1866-1934. Mantegna. Trad. 2004. di Rossella Rizzo. Milano: Abscondita, ANTHONY MOLHO (VIT’69,’72), Diogo 2006. Ramada Curto & Niki Koniordos eds. CAROLINE ELAM (VIT’82,’05) ed. Finding Europe: Discourses on Margins, Michelangelo e il disegno di architettura. Communities, Images ca. 13th - ca. 18th Venezia: Marsilio, 2006. Centuries. New York; Oxford: Berghahn SILVIA EVANGELISTI (VIT’04). Nuns: Books, 2007. A History of Convent Life 1450-1700. Rosanna New York: Oxford UP, 2007. Gasparri & Cheti ANDREA GÁLDY (VIT’06). The Benvenuti. Chimera from Arezzo and Renaissance Etruscology. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2006. INGRID BAUMGÄRTNER (VIT’07,’08) DAVID GENTILCORE (VIT’06). Medical ed. Helmarshausen: Buchkultur und Charlatanism in Early Modern Italy. Goldschmiedekunst im Hochmittelalter. Oxford; New York: Oxford UP, 2006. Kassel: Euregioverlag, 2003. CATHERINE MONBEIG GOGUEL (VIT’02) Paolo G UIDO BELTRAMINI (VIT’08) & ed. Textes réunis par Cordélia Hattori. Gasparri. Marco Gaiani eds. Una metodologia per L’artiste collectioneur de dessin. Paris: l’acquisizione e la restituzione dei giacimenti Société du Salon du Dessin; Milan: 5 documentali dell’architettura: i materiali per continents, 2006. lo studio di Andrea Palladio. Milano: Poli GUIDO GUERZONI (VIT’04). Apollo e Design, 2003. Vulcano: i mercati artistici in Italia (1400- PHILIPPE MOREL (VIT’92,’93,’99) ed. L’art DORIS CARL (VIT’95). Benedetto da 1700). Venezia: Marsilio, 2006. de la Renaissance entre science et magie. Paris: Maiano: A Florentine Sculptor at the TOM HENRY (VIT’03) ed. Amicizia e Somogy, 2006. Threshold of the High Renaissance. francescanesimo: Luca Signorelli, Umbertide EDWARD MUIR (VIT’73). The Culture Turnhout: Brepols, 2006. e la pala di Santa Croce. Città di Castello: Wars of the Late Renaissance: Skeptics, JAN CHLÍBEC (VIT’88,’97). Italské renesancní Petruzzi, 2006. Libertines, and Opera. Cambridge, MA; socharství v ceskych statnich a soukromých London: Harvard UP, 2007. sbírkách. Praha: Academia, 2006. JOHN M. NAJEMY (VIT’70,’71,’75,’99). A
VILLA I TATTI The Berenson Fototeca Catalogue
he pilot project for the Berenson work record, shared with other Harvard T Fototeca aims to catalogue a group repositories so as to avoid unnecessary of ca. 10,000 photographs of “homeless” replications, provides numerous text Italian Renaissance paintings and fields for descriptive notes on the drawings, according to Berenson’s artwork. It is possible to specify defi nition for works of art whose current information relevant to the Fototeca’s location is unknown, consequent to materials, such as Berenson’s attributions their sale, loss, or theft. This is a small and the data included in the inscriptions but signifi cant section of the collection, on the back of the photographs or in which in some cases represents rare and related documents concerning the Valentina Branchini, Monica Steletti & precious documentation for works that ownership and the collecting history Elisabetta Cunsolo. have seldom or never been studied. of the work. To a single work record are This automated catalogue with multiple Cataloguing is being carried linked one or more surrogate records, whose access points will help users in locating out in the OLIVIA system, developed at somewhat different structure better the photographs and doing systematic Harvard University for visual materials renders the historical and artefactual research. It will also be an essential tool and widely used by Harvard repositories. value of the photographs themselves. We for managing the photograph library, Controlled vocabularies and inter- hope in the near future, once funding is for monitoring its size and content, national cataloguing standards are used, secured, to initiate a project to digitize order, and state of conservation, and for and the data are supplied from OLIVIA these photographs. The surrogate records recording both related documents and to VIA (Visual Information Access), will then be completed with images of new acquisitions. the online union catalogue of visual both recto and verso of the print, allowing resources in Harvard collections. public access to inscriptions on the back Valentina Branchini Different and related types as well. Project Manager, of records are created in the OLIVIA In preparation for the item-level Photograph Catalogue database, one for the original artwork catalogue, a general folder-level inventory and one for each reproduction. The of the entire collection has been started. Books by Former Fellows Cont.------
History of Florence 1200-1575. Malden, nell’Italia del Seicento. Milano: Bruno Patrizia Meli & SERGIO TOGNETTI MA: Blackwell, 2006. Mondadori, 2006. (VIT’01) with an essay by LORENZO Bonita Cleri & GIOVANNA PERINI PAOLO S IMONCELLI (VIT’82). Fuoriuscitismo FABBRI (VIT’98). Il principe e il mercante (VIT’88) eds. Guide e viaggiatori tra repubblicano fi orentino, 1530-1554. Milano: nella Toscana del Quattrocento: il Magnifi co Marche e Liguria dal Sei all’Ottocento: atti F. Angeli Storia, 2006. signore di Piombino, Jacopo III Appiani e le del convegno, Urbino, Palazzo Albani, 26-27 CHRISTINE SMITH (VIT’90) & Joseph aziende Maschiani di Pisa. Firenze: L.S. ottobre 2004. Sant’Angelo in Vado: Grafi ca F. O’Connor. Building the Kingdom: Olschki, 2006. Vadese, 2006. Giannozzo Manetti on the Material and ELENA VALERI (VIT’07). “Italia dilacerata”: IVAYLA POPOVA (VIT’03). Aeneas Sylvius Spiritual Edifi ce. Tempe: ACMRS, 2006. Girolamo Borgia nella cultura storica del Piccolomini (Pope Pius II) and the Balkans MARCO SPALLANZANI (VIT’82-’03). Rinascimento. Milano: F. Angeli Storia, in the 15th Century: Historical Etudes. Maioliche ispano-moresche a Firenze nel 2007. V. Tärnovo: Faber, 2006. Rinascimento. Firenze: SPES, 2006. TIMOTHY WILSON (VIT’84) & Elisa ADRIANO PROSPERI (VIT’81) ed. Salvezza MARCO SPALLANZANI (VIT’82-’03). Paola Sani. Le maioliche rinascimentali delle anime, disciplina dei corpi: un seminario Oriental Rugs in Renaissance Florence. nelle collezioni della Fondazione Cassa di sulla storia del battesimo. Pisa: Edizioni della Florence: SPES, 2007. Risparmio di Perugia. Città di Castello: Normale, 2006. SAMO ŠTEFANAC (VIT’07). Kiparstvo Petruzzi, 2006. LIONELLO PUPPI (VIT’69) ed. Un Mantegna Nikole Firentinca i njegovog kruga. Split: SERGIO ZATTI (VIT’88). The Quest for da scoprire: la Madonna della tenerezza. Knjizevni krug, 2006. Epic: From Ariosto to Ta s s o . Toronto: Univ. Milano: Skira, 2006. LECH SZCZUCKI (VIT’78,’85). Humanisci, of Toronto Press, 2006. MASSIMILIANO ROSSI (VIT’93,’98-’03). heretycy, inkwizytorzy:studia z dziejów DIANE FINIELLO ZERVAS (VIT’78,’79). Le fi la del tempo: il sistema storico di Luigi kultury XVI i XVII wieku. Kraków: Polska Andrea Orcagna: il tabernacolo di Lanzi. Firenze: L.S. Olschki, 2006. Akademia Umiejetnosci, 2006. Orsanmichele. Modena: Franco Cosimo FRANCESCO SBERLATI (VIT’96). La Panini, 2006. ragione barocca: politica e letteratura
AUTUMN 2007 News from the Berenson Fototeca, Archive & Collection
e are delighted to be dipping our some 2,400 black and white glass plates to its current state of W toes in the digital pond, so to and slides, color glass transparencies, ill repair. What used speak, with the project to catalogue glass slides, and autochromes Lumiére, to be Logan Pearsall the “homeless” photographs, described of different sizes ranging from 6x7 cm Smith’s sitting room, by Valentina Branchini on page 7. We to 40x30 cm. Particularly interesting are under the eves of anticipate this will be the start of a the glass plates and autochromes Lumiére the main part of far larger project to catalogue and to which document views of I Tatti’s the house, has become a temporary digitize the collection here, although interior and garden in its early days. The conservation laboratory. There, Roberto 8 Marchig collection chiefl y provides a Bellucci has gently removed the old we have no illusions as to the time and resources we will need to complete it. unique documentation of paintings at varnish and the traces of previous repairs In the meantime, we have no intention various stages of conservation in the years and is painstakingly and with the lightest of abandoning the “old” format and after World War II. Leonetto Tintori’s of touches stabilizing the picture. In continue to acquire photographs through material is focused on Simone Martini’s addition, two Persian ceramics, a ewer gifts and purchases. Thanks to Treacy frescoes in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. and a vase fragment, have been restored and Darcy Beyer, we have been able to Giorgio Castelfranco was an art historian by Fabio Burrini, together with a small purchase hundreds of photographs of who was one of the fi rst admirers of the Chinese bronze horse which has regained renowned fresco cycles by Fra Angelico famous painter Giorgio De Chirico. its original charming modeling. at San Marco, Masolino at Castiglione His collection of glass plates documents In the Berenson Archive, Ilaria th Olona, and Giotto at Padua. In addition, his interest in the art of the early 20 Della Monica has been working hard important gifts of photographs have century. Giuseppe Marchini’s material to inventory the papers of Laurance come from art historian Sabine Eiche refl ects his wide range of research in P. and Isabel S. Roberts, as mentioned (VIT’83) and conservator Andrea Rothe, Italian art. A large group of small glass in last year’s Newsletter. These papers who has given a first group of his negatives document Ludovico Borgo’s were left in very good order and will invaluable collection of photographs of specifi c study of the drawings by Fra soon be available for consultation. In works of art treated by him. Bartolomeo and his circle, during his the meantime, more material has been A major project to inventory fellowship at I Tatti. added to the collection of Frederick and correctly house in a climate- We take this opportunity to Hartt’s papers and we have completed controlled environment our entire thank Alyson Gombas, Megan Walker, microfi lming Mary Berenson’s diaries. collection of glass plates was completed Lauren Murphy, and Laura Brown, interns this year. The original Berensonian from Syracuse University in Florence, Fiorella Superbi nucleus of some 430 items has over the who with great enthusiasm and interest Agnes Mongan Curator of the years been enriched by material from have helped us in various projects. We Fototeca Berenson, Curator of the the conservators Giannino Marchig and also thank our other generous donors, Berenson Collection and Archive Leonetto Tintori (VIT’76-’84) and from in particular Eve Borsook (VIT’81-’07) & the art historians Giorgio Castelfranco, for her time and expertise, and Fred Stein Giovanni Pagliarulo Giuseppe Marchini, and Ludovico Borgo whose generosity has allowed us to tackle Andrew W. Mellon Librarian (VIT’65). The collection now contains some conservation problems in both the Fototeca and the Berenson Collection. As happens annually, Roberto Bellucci and Cecilia Frosinini of the Opifi cio delle Pietre Dure conservation laboratory carefully examined the state of conservation of the paintings in the Berenson Collection this year and discovered that the Madonna and Child attributed by Mr. Berenson to Jacopo Bellini was in urgent need of treatment. The painting has been restored at various times in its history and these restorations have contributed Morten Hansen & Maude Vanhaelen. Giovanni Pagliarulo & Fiorella Superbi.
VILLA I TATTI NEWS
FROM THE instruments in their own country. We are MORRILL MUSIC grateful to the Accademia Bartolomeo LIBRARY Cristofori, the Galleria dell’Accademia and Prof. Ella Sevskaya for their kind collaboration in this new undertaking. Another successful collabo- ration involved Villa I Tatti, the Victoria his year the Music Library inititated and Albert Museum in London, and the T a three-year project of collaboration Florentine-based early music ensemble with the Department of Historical and Trictilla, directed by Giulia Nuti. For the Contemporary Performance of the P. I. occasion of the “At Home in Renaissance Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Moscow. Italy” exhibition that opened in October Four students from the department, 2006 at the V & A, the curators of the Evan MacCarthy & Josko Belamaric. directed by Alexei Lubimov, were invited exhibition, Marta Ajmar-Wollheim and by I Tatti to study for a week on historic Flora Dennis (VIT’08), worked closely now been extended: harpsichordist Giulia keyboard instruments in Tuscany under Nuti, with the musicians of Trictilla, and the direction of Ella Sevskaya. These in collaboration with the Royal College brilliant young musicians enjoyed the of Music, London, will be providing resources of the Accademia Bartolomeo music for the permanent collections of Cristofori, which placed at their disposal the Victoria and Albert Museum. three fortepianos, and the Museo degli We are grateful to Evan Strumenti Musicali of the Galleria MacCarthy, who came from the Harvard dell’Accademia, which made available Music Department in January to be one their copy of a Cristofori fortepiano of this year’s Readers in Renaissance of 1726 built by Kerstin Schwarz and Studies at Villa I Tatti, for his expert Tony Chinnery. The students concluded assistance with the identifi cation and their week with a recital on I Tatti’s classifi cation of a group of photographs harpsichord, built by Ugo Casiglia Peggy Haines, Helena Serazin of music manuscripts in the Carapetyan and based on the G. B. Giusti of 1693 & Samo Stefanac. Collection which had not yet been in the Smithsonian Institute, which catalogued. was generously donated to Villa I Tatti with the musicians of Trictilla to recreate Kathryn Bosi the sound environment for a house of F. Gordon and that period and class. In producing a Elizabeth Morrill Music Moscow recording of music for the house of Librarian student Daria an Italian Renaissance gentleman, they Borkovskaya chose music that came from the same plays years and the same cities as the works of Broadwood square piano art and everyday domestic objects in the no. 37179 at Museum’s displays. The music recorded the Accademia was written for domestic use, rather Bartolomeo than for church or court, and the Cristofori. choice of instruments was governed by those that would have been present and played in a Renaissance gentleman’s household. An authentic ambience for by Frederick Hammond (VIT’72). the recording sessions was provided by Our project aims at facilitating the the Florentine family Budini Gattai, studies of eminent musicians from the who kindly made available their Moscow Conservatory who rarely have palazzo in piazza SS. Annunziata. The the opportunity of playing on historic initial project, sponsored by I Tatti, has Wendy Heller & Nora Stoppino.
AUTUMN 2007 Lectures & Programs with support from the Lila Wallace - Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and the Scholarly Programs and Publications Funds in the names of Malcolm Hewitt Wiener, Craig and Barbara Smyth, Jean-François Malle, Andrew W. Mellon, and Robert Lehman.
n addition to the public lectures and conferences listed below and on the following pages, many of this year’s Fellows chose to I present their work in progress at in-house workshops. MAUDE V ANHAELEN opened the series with “Theurgy, Demonology, and Ficino’s Translations in the years 1486-89.” ANDREA MOZZATO’S topic was ‘Tra integrazione e monopolio. Vicende commerciali di uno straniero a Venezia, Agostino Altucci, speziale toscano “all’insegna della Croce” (1464-1475).’ ELEONORA STOPPINO and MICHAEL COLE offered a double shoptalk on “Iconology and the Narrative Sequence: Two Case Studies,” as did MONIQUE O’CONNELL and ERIC DURSTELER who gave separate papers on the theme of “Venice’s Multicultural Renaissance: Refl ections on Public and Private in the Maritime Empire.” FEDERICA CICCOLELLA spoke about “The Making of Renaissance Greek Schoolbooks” 10 while MORTEN HANSEN’S topic was “In Michelangelo’s Mirror: Daniele da Volterra from the 1540s.” IPPOLITA DI MAJO and ELENA VALERI joined forces to discuss “Dalle corti all’impero: storiografi a e committenza a Napoli nel Cinquecento;” GÁBOR ALMÁSI gave an introduction to “Renaissance Scholarly Dog-Keeping and its Social Context;” and GIORGIO CARAVALE explored the topic of “Diventare eretico nella Firenze del ‘500. Francesco Pucci e la sua formazione.” Musicologists WENDY HELLER and GIOVANNI ZANOVELLO respectively discussed “Animating Arcadia: Ovid through Opera’s Mirror in Seicento Venice” and “Musica, rituale e politica alla Santissima Annunziata tra il XV e il XVI secolo: novità e continuità.” ESTELLE LINGO discussed her work on the sculptor Francesco Mochi and MATTHEW V ESTER covered “Cultura politica valdostana, 1550-1600.”
A chronological listing follows of public lectures, concerts, and conferences held at I Tatti during the 2006/2007 academic year. Institutional affi liation is not given for members of I Tatti’s 2006/2007 academic community.
Recital by students from Moscow Conservatory tutored by ELLA SEVSKAYA Workshop: Marriage in Europe – organized by SILVANA SEIDEL- MENCHI (VIT’75,’94-’03) Early Music at I Tatti Concert - IX: Ricercar Consort: Antonio Bertali, ‘valoroso nel violino’ RUDOLF PREIMESBERGER (Freie Universitat, Berlin): Qualche rifl essione sulla “Cattura di Cristo” di Caravaggio HUGO VAN DER V ELDEN (Harvard University): Pictor Hubertus: Hubert van Eyck and the Ghent Altarpiece MARIA ANTONIETTA VISCEGLIA (Università’ di Roma, La Stephen Gersh, John Monfasani, Michael Allen & Sapienza): Liturgia e politica. Il Corpus Domini a Roma in età Brian Copenhaver at the Ficino conference. moderna DALE KENT: The Berenson Lectures: Friendship, Love and Trust in Renaissance Florence. 1) Framing Friendship; 2) Making Friends; FORMER FELLOWS 3) “Test your friend a hundred times before you trust him” PDATE FRANCESCA FIORANI (University of Virginia): Leonardo’s U Shadows Conference on Ficino, organized by JAMES HANKINS, M ICHAEL SARA GALLETTI and JANIE COLE (both VIT’06) received ALLEN and MICHELE CILIBERTO Conference on Desiderio da Settignano, organized with the a prestigious Getty Foundation Collaborative Research Kunsthistorisches Institut and the Bargello Museum grant, being administered by Harvard University, for their DANIEL JAVITCH: The Fusion of Classical Poetry and Chivalric two-year project: “Artistic Patronage, Cultural Brokerage Romance in Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso and Self-Fashioning in Early Modern Europe: the Arts Early Music at I Tatti Concert – X: La Reverdie: Viaggio in at the Court of Maria de’ Medici.” This project was born Italia out of their shared interests in 17th-century arts patronage, Italy and Hungary: Humanism and Art in the Early Renaissance, especially of Maria de’ Medici during her years as queen conference organized by PÉTER FARBAKY (VIT’02, Budapest and regent to the throne of France (1600-1631). By drawing History Museum), ILDIKÓ FEHÉR (VIT’06, Budapest Academy on extensive new archival research, their forthcoming book of Fine Arts), and LOUIS W ALDMAN (VIT’06, University of Texas will encompass a wide variety of the French court’s artistic at Austin) interests ranging from architecture and urbanism to music, DEBORAH HOWARD: Architectural Politics in Renaissance Venice theatrical spectacle, court festival, and the fi ne arts.
VILLA I TATTI the garden, when Berenson asked what Paola Barocchi and the her plans were and she replied that she hoped to study art history, BB warned her, “Lei troverà molti pantaloni che I Tatti Mongan Prize G ostacoleranno la sua strada.” She took this as a challenge, and derived quiet satisfaction from sending her fi rst book, n 10th October 2006 the I Tatti inspiring training to generations of on Rosso Fiorentino, to the I Tatti library. Mongan Prize was awarded at now-celebrated art historians. Her list of O (What she did not point out was that a packed ceremony in the Myron and publications is awe-inspiring, beginning this book was published, astonishingly, Sheila Gilmore Limonaia to PAOLA with monographs on artists such as Rosso when she was only twenty-three years BAROCCHI, Emeritus Professor of Art and Vasari, and continuing through old, a young woman of great beauty History at the Scuola Normale di Pisa. as the photograph on the dust-jacket The prize was founded in 1986 by reveals.) Melvin R. Seiden “to honor a scholar When considering whether who carries into a new generation the she should accept the I Tatti Mongan qualities of imaginative scholarship, Prize, Professor Barocchi continued, personal generosity and altruistic she was swayed by its emphasis on devotion to the institutions of art contribution to the life of institutions. history that were exemplifi ed in their When she had fi rst known it, I Tatti had own generation by Agnes and Elizabeth been a solipsistic place, a kind of court Mongan.” Agnes Mongan (1905-96), revolving around a central monarchical a great curator and connoisseur of fi gure, whereas now it was outward drawings, became the Director of the looking and was of importance to Fogg Museum of Art (1969-71). Her the whole world. On a more personal younger sister Elizabeth (1910-2002) Paola Barocchi accepts the I Tatti Mongan Prize. note, she spoke movingly of the was the fi rst curator of the Lessing J. freedom of retirement, a freedom as Rosenwald collection of prints and complete as the freedom of youth, but taught at Smith College from 1969 to epic volumes of art-historical texts transformed by the loss of so many loved 1975. with exhaustive historical commentary, ones: “La libertà in vecchiaia è una cosa Before presenting the tradi- invaluable editions of primary documents conquistata, una seconda libertà che tional bouquet of roses, the Mongans’ such as Michelangelo’s correspondence, ha bisogno di reinvenzione.” But her favourite fl ower, Joseph Connors gave and major studies of the history of audience remained in no doubt that what an outline of Paola Barocchi’s career, collecting and the history of museums. she called freedom was, as ever, a life of fi rst at the University of Lecce then She was one of the fi rst art historians to service to others. at the Scuola Normale at Pisa, where realise the full potential of the computer Caroline Elam (VIT’81,’05) she gave an intellectually rigorous and (a seminal meeting on memorizzazione took place at I Tatti in the 1970s), and has master-minded the publication on Previous I Tatti Mongan Prize winners are FORMER FELLOWS the Internet of freely available, user- Sydney J. Freedberg (1988), Craig Hugh UPDATE friendly, word-searchable texts which Smyth (1992), Sir Ernst Gombrich (1996), are transforming our understanding Caroline Elam (2003). JAN ZIOLKOWSKI (VIT’93,’98), Arthur of sources such as Vasari’s Lives. Since Kingsley Porter Professor of Medieval retirement from Pisa she continues Latin at Harvard University, has this work with the organisation called recently been appointed Director ‘Memofonte,’ directed from her house of Dumbarton Oaks Research in Florence, which is also the seat of the Library and Collection. His latest publishing house S.P.E.S. which has for book, co-authored with Bridget K. many decades produced important series Balint, A Bouquet of Satire, Wisdom, of art-historical texts and catalogues. and History: An Anthology of Latin In her speech of acceptance, Verse from Twelfth-Century France Paola Barocchi recalled her fi rst visit at in Houghton Library (Houghton the age of twenty to I Tatti, a kind of Library Studies) is due to be scholarly paradise two years after the published by Harvard UP in war, when Italian libraries were starved October 2007. of funds to buy books and the German Gabor Almasi, Matthew Vester Institute remained closed. Walking in & Giorgio Caravale.
AUTUMN 2007 Pictor Hubertus
painter’s tomb, the birth of a royal about the origins of the celebrated yet completed; instead, Professor van der A heir, and the interpretation of a altarpiece and the role of Hubert van Velden proposed, this date may refer to puzzling chronogram were key elements Eyck, the mysterious brother of Jan van the work’s temporary display in St. Bavo, in the talk “Pictor Hubertus: Hubert van Eyck. The date May 6, 1432, supplied over the tomb of Hubert, on the occasion Eyck and the Ghent Altarpiece,”delivered by the chronogram which appears in of the royal baptism. at I Tatti on January 11th by HUGO VAN the inscription on the frame of the Estelle Lingo DER V ELDEN, Professor of History of Art altarpiece in St. Bavo, coincides with Rush H. Kress Fellow & Architecture at Harvard. Professor the date of the baptism of the heir of the van der Velden drew upon his extensive Duke of Burgundy in the same church. archival research on the Ghent Altar- Professor van der Velden proposed that 12 piece, the subject of his forthcoming Hubert began the painting for a different monograph, to offer a new theory project, an altarpiece commissioned by the alderman of Ghent for the town hall in 1424, a theory which would help to explain the work’s unusual iconography. When Hubert died in 1426, the painting evidently remained unfinished, and van der Velden suggested that only several years later did Jodocus Vijd, the patron of Estelle & Stuart Lingo. the Ghent Altarpiece, commission Jan to complete the altarpiece and transform it into the work we know today. But it was unlikely the altarpiece was completed by 1432, when its intended chapel was not Hugo van der Velden.