Palazzo Pantini Nicchiarelli RESIDENZA D’EPOCA

The Room of the ancient

The ceiling of the room is finely frescoed according to a classic compositional scheme, in which the author has placed the five main historical-mythological scenes in a complex and rich decorative surround made up of frames and squares and populated by cupids, angels, winged demons and bizarre allegorical figures from a surprising repertoire of ornamental motifs such as rare and refined grotesques, candelabra, festoons of plants and flowers, grisaille medallions and an incredible quantity of fantastic and realistic animals.

Finally, at the four corners of the ceiling, the coat of arms of the Pompilj family, the rampant lion, here inserted in a horse-head shield, can be seen.

The five main scenes are work of the artist Bartolomeo Pinelli and depict a number episodes related to the history of the Roman republic. The frescoes were created at the request of Giovanni Pompilj on the basis of his personal tastes and focus on moments of intense pathos, strong emotion and inner reflection.

2 It is interesting to note that these five scenes are also present among the copper engravings made by Pinelli between 1816 and 1819 and which he himself collected and published with the Roman publisher Giovanni Scudellari in the beautiful volume:

“The Roman History of Bartolomeo Pinelli” illustrated in one hundred etching plates with comments from Charles Rollin’s Histoire Romaine.

This volume consists of one hundred plates engraved on copper and printed on fine paper in a larger format than previous publications, in which the author develops a language of narrative and gestural schemes creating an emphatic amplification of nineteenth-century neoclassical painting.

Bartolomeo Pinelli had a great passion for ancient history and was fascinated by the texts and narration of Charles Rollin's Histoire Romaine, published in France in 1738, the result of a free translation of the work of Tito Livio’s “Ab Urbe condita libri”, a monumental history of from its foundation to 9 AC and a valuable and irreplaceable resource for knowledge of the historical events of republican Rome.

Charles Rollin, a famous French scholar and academic (Paris, January 30, 1661 - September 14, 1741), was actually a mediocre historian, but his highly descriptive treatment and his innovative pedagogical style made him a point of reference in historical matters during the 1700s.

Bartolomeo Pinelli was so impressed by his work that under each of his plates he carefully recorded an explanatory caption, drawing inspiration from the texts and narration of Charles Rollin’s Histoire Romaine and went as far as to mention it in the title of his collection.

Returning to the frescoes in the room, the five main scenes will be examined following the chronological order of the events which inspired them.

3 Publius Cornelius Scipio demands the oath of the Roman nobles

The subject of this frescoe is Publius Cornelius Scipio, heroic military commander and politician.

We are in the course of the . Hanibal’s Carthaginians have invaded and have already inflicted four terrible defeats upon the Romans, in Ticino, Trebbia, Trasimeno and finally in Canne. For them the road to Rome now seems cleared.

In 216 BC, Publius Cornelius Scipio, holding the position of “military tribune”, was among the survivors of the disastrous battle of Canne where, showing great courage and determination, he worked to save the few straggling survivors of the Roman legions taking refuge in the nearby city of Canosa. Upon learning of the intentions of numerous Roman patricians and nobles to leave Rome and flee in exile to Veii, he faced them with arms in hand, threatening them and forcing them to swear allegiance to Rome and the republic.

The fresco illustrates the moment when the young military tribune Publius Cornelius Scipio, holding a sword, forces the Roman patricians to renounce their flight and swear allegiance to Rome and the republic.

The scene of this fresco is also the subject of the engraving reproduced in Plate 58 of the collection “The Roman History of Bartolomeo Pinelli” and the following description by the artist himself is in the caption shown at the bottom of the engraving:

“Publio Cornelio Scipione, having learned that in Canosa, after the battle of Canne, so fatal to the Romans, secret talks were held by the main citizens to abandon the Republic, he went to the house of Lucio Cecilio Metello, where they had gathered, and with naked sword obliges them with an oath not to abandon the Republic or he would kill anyone who dared not to obey”.

4 5 Publius Cornelius Scipio returns a prisoner

The protagonist of this fresco is again Publius Cornelius Scipio, who has now become a general.

We are still in the course of the Second Punic War: after the overwhelming victories of Ticino, Trebbia, Trasimeno and Canne, ’s advance seemed unstoppable. The Romans attempted diversionary actions, attacking the Carthaginians in their territories in attempts to avoid further clashes in Italy. In 210 BC, the young general Publius Cornelius Scipio managed to inflict an important defeat on the Carthaginians in the Iberian Peninsula with the victorious siege of the city of Cartagena (Nova Carthago). This victorious conquest of Cartagena was also celebrated and remembered for the clemency and great humanity with which Scipio treated the hostages.

The fresco illustrates the moment when the young general Publius Cornelius Scipio, after the victorious siege of Cartagena and showing great humanity, returns a prisoner betrothed to a Celtiberian prince.

The scene of this fresco is the subject of the engraving reproduced in Plate 63 of the collection “The Roman History of Bartolomeo Pinelli” and the following description by the artist himself is in the caption shown at the bottom of the engraving:

“Scipione Affricano, after the conquest of Cartagena in Spain, among the various proofs of his generosity, returns without ransom a young prisoner of rare beauty to Allucio, Prince of Celtiberi, to whom she had already been promised in marriage”.

6 7 Hannibal receives the severed head of his brother Hasdrubal

The protagonist of this fresco is Hannibal Barca, the great Carthaginian general.

During the Second Punic War Hannibal was engaged in Italy and had entrusted the command of the Spanish province to his younger brother Hasdrubal. In the spring of 207 BC, Hasdrubal attempted to reach Hannibal in Italy with reinforcements, but two Roman consuls, Marcus Livius Salinator and Gaius , with their respective armies, faced him to prevent him from rejoining Hannibal. The clash took place near the Metauro River and was a great victory for the Romans. Many Carthaginians were killed, among them Hasdrubal himself, whose head was cut off by the victors and then thrown in front of Hannibal’s fortified camp.

The fresco illustrates the moment in which the severed head of his brother Hasdrubal, defeated and killed by the Romans in the battle of Metauro, is brought before Hannibal in the Carthaginian camp.

The scene of this fresco is the subject of the engraving reproduced in Plate 65 of the collection “The Roman History of Bartolomeo Pinelli” and the following description by the artist himself is in the caption shown at the bottom of the engraving:

“The head of his brother Hasdrubal having been thrown in to Hannibal’s camp, defeated by and Nero, he recognises in this the inevitability of his own ruin”.

8 9 The killing of Sempronius Gracchus

The protagonist of this fresco is Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, a famous plebeian tribune.

The “tribune of the plebs” was the first plebeian magistracy in Rome, established about 15 years after the foundation of the Roman Republic in 494 BC. Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus came to hold the position of tribune of the people in 133 BC where he distinguished himself through an important reform project centered on an agrarian law that would limit the abuses on the division of land carried out by the richest and most powerful aristocrats to the detriment of medium and small landowners. When, at the end of his mandate, he sought to reapply for the office of plebeian tribune, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus was accused by the caste of Senators of aspiring to tyranny and was killed during the tumultuous riots that developed in the Capitol between the opposing factions.

The fresco illustrates the moment when Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, now on the ground, is overwhelmed and is about to be killed by his opponents during the riots in the Capitol.

The scene of this fresco is the subject of the engraving reproduced in Plate 71 of the collection “The Roman History of Bartolomeo Pinelli” and the following description by the artist himself is in the caption shown at the bottom of the engraving:

“The unfortunate Tiberius Gracchus, while trying to save himself by escaping from the tumult that arose between the Senate and the Tribunes, falling to his misfortune, is killed by blows of seats by P. Saturejo and Lucio Rubrio, his colleagues and Tribunes”.

10 11 The appearance to Brutus of his Evil Spirit

The protagonist of this fresco is Marcus Junius Brutus, orator, politician, senator and adopted son of Gaius Julius Caesar.

Following the assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar, the two main conspirators and assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus were pursued by Caesar Octavian and Mark Antony who wanted to avenge the death of the “father of the country” and permanently defeat the republican opposition. The decisive clash between the armies of the Caesarians, led by Mark Antony and Octavian, and those of the so-called republicans, led by the assassins Cassius and Brutus, took place in 42 BC in Philippi, Macedonia, and saw the defeat of the republicans. From the testimony of Plutarch, Brutus, after the defeat, decided to commit suicide. But before this extreme gesture, mentally retracing his life, he remembered when, on the night of the Ides of March 44 BC, while alone and absorbed in his thoughts, a ghost appeared to him, a figure with a monstrously large body, which addressed him threateningly saying: “Brutus, I am your evil spirit and we will meet again in Philippi!”

The fresco illustrates the moment in which, during the night preceding the assassination of Caesar, a ghost, the Evil Spirit, appears to the conspirator Marcus Junius Brutus while absorbed in his thoughts and admonishes him threateningly: “Brutus, I am your evil spirit and we will meet again in Philippi!”

The scene of this fresco is the subject of the engraving reproduced in Plate 98 of the collection “The Roman History of Bartolomeo Pinelli” and the following description by the artist himself is in the caption shown at the bottom of the engraving: “The appearance of a ghost to Brutus before the battle given to Philippi”.

12 13 Bartolomeo Pinelli

Bartolomeo Pinelli was a famous Italian engraver, painter and ceramic sculptor. An eclectic, restless, lively and reckless artist. Filled with a deep passion for his art, he was extremely prolific, creating an impressive collection of valuable works, especially copper engravings and drawings. He is known as “the painter of Trastevere”.

Born in Rome on November 20, 1781 in the bohemian atmosphere of the Trastevere neighbourhood, he moved with his family to Bologna in 1792, where the young Bartolomeo was entrusted to the painter and engraver Giambattista Frulli and attended the Academy of Fine Arts (also known as the Accademia Clementina). Here he refined his skills in the field of figurative arts and specialized in the techniques of engraving, drawing, painting and sculpture, where he demonstrated great skill.

Returning to the Trastevere in Rome in 1799, he began a close collaboration with Franz Kaisermann, a well-known Swiss landscape painter, for whom he worked as an illustrator, painting the figures in his watercolor landscapes. He attended the Academy of San Luca with honours, where he intensified his studies and distinguished himself by winning prizes in drawing and painting. Felice Giani, a famous painter and interior decorator and one of the greatest exponents of Italian neoclassicism was his tutor. He also regularly attended the studio of Felice Giani, so that, in addition to being a student, he was also his assistant, collaborating with him in the creation of frescoes and decorations of prestigious buildings, including the Napoleonic apartment in the Quirinal Palace.

Pinelli sided with the Roman Republic as envisioned by Napoleon. Filled as he was by new ideals, he adhered to the pro-French propaganda and during the Napoleonic government was able to frequent the salons of the capital, where he had contact with many of the intellectuals and artists who were the principal protagonists of the cultural and artistic movements of the time. Here he enjoyed considerable success and obtained many official assignments for the production of frescoes, drawings and engravings.

14 Wall fresco by Bartolomeo Pinelli in the Villa Villoresi in Sesto Fiorentino (Florence)

15 In 1809, with his Collection of Fifty Picturesque Customs, a repertoire of images dedicated to the city of Rome of his time, exploring its monuments, inhabitants and their customs, Pinelli tried his hand at engraving for the first time. Here he used his desire to capture everyday realities and his keen skills of observation to create an idealized iconography of the Roman people through a simple, linear medium.

Engraving depicting a “Roman brawl”

16 In 1812, again using the technique of engraving, he began his personal account of the events of those years, such as the bands of outlaws that at the time ravaged the countryside south of Rome, first in opposition to the French authorities and later to those of the papal government. Pinelli’s work, focusing on the most dramatic episodes, at times highly epic and romantic and at times subtly ironic and irreverent, anticipated the romantic epic.

Engraving depicting a band of brigands

17 He also paid close attention to the neoclassical cultural tendencies of the time, with his deep admiration for classical history and in particular for . He was also committed to interpreting and illustrating a number of great literary masterpieces, creating cycles inspired by classical poems such as ’s Aeneid, Dante’s Divine Comedy, Tasso’s Gerusalemme Liberata, Ariosto’s and Cervantes’ Don Quixote.

Engraving depicting Don Quixote of La Mancha absorbed in his thoughts

18 Pinelli ventured into historical pieces, energetically joining the rich and lively Roman publishing circuit which, fueled by great public interest in the rediscovery of ancient history, saw his works achieve enormous success, becoming among the most sought after of the Grand Tour. In 1811 he illustrated the Aeneid, publishing a rich collection of 50 plates with the publisher Luigi Fabri.

The first Table of the 50 that make up the Aeneid illustrated by Bartolomeo Pinelli

19 In 1819, with the publisher Giovanni Scudellari, he published the Roman History. In the first Plate of the hundred that make up this great work, Bartolomeo Pinelli portrays himself while, accompanied by his faithful Corsican dogs, he is absorbed in the contemplation of the ancient remains of his beloved city. The caption at the bottom of the engraving by the artist himself reads: “In the midst of the ruins of the Forum, the Goddess Rome appeared to me in her majestic dignity and grandeur”.

The first of the 100 Plate of the Roman History illustrated by Bartolomeo Pinelli

20 The huge success achieved encouraged new projects: in 1821 he published the “Collection of 100 most remarkable subjects of Greek history” and, a few months later, the “Collection of 100 most remarkable subjects of Roman history”. These two publications enjoyed great popularity and the explanatory texts by Fulvia Bertocchi that accompanied the plates of both contributed to their considerable success. Fulvia Bertocchi was a Roman noblewoman, writer and author of theatrical and didactic texts who hosted a famous literary salon in Rome, also frequented by Gioacchino Belli and in which Pinelli himself probably participated.

With the publisher Giovanni Scudellari, the artist also designed the “History of the Emperors” which he created and engraved between 1821 and 1824 and completed in 1829.

In 1826 he painted seventy-one monochromatic watercolors of mythological subjects, for which the famous painter Francesco Podesti judged him a «sovereign draftsman and composer».

Bartolomeo Pinelli died in Rome on the 1st of April, 1835.

Bartolomeo Pinelli, with his effervescent neoclassical style, is to be considered the greatest illustrator of the local customs of nineteenth-century Rome; a great artist, who with constant reference to neoclassical canons and focusing his attention on the people, events and surroundings he experienced, rediscovers the ancient dignity of a vanished world in daily life.

Oreste Raggi, his first biographer, wrote of him: «... in his art he was very great, original, unique. True glory in the Arts he loved and achieved ... » [Oreste Raggi, Notes on the life and works of Bartolomeo Pinelli. Salvucci Typography, 1835.]

21 “Achille drags Hector’s body” Terracotta sculpture by Bartolomeo Pinelli (1833) - National Museum of Venezia Palace, Rome

22 Portrait of Bartolomeo Pinelli in an engraving by A. Moretti

23 Palazzo Pantini Nicchiarelli RESIDENZA D’EPOCA Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 85 06061 Castiglione del Lago (Pg) www.palazzopantininicchiarelli.com

Printed in february 2021 by Le Mani di Mary s.r.l. - Perugia