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~ Musings on the Ecstasy of Italian Art and Culture

Searching For Bernini

Monthly Archives: June 2013

Sobbin’ Women: Sicilian Tombs

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by SearchingForBernini in Art, Art History, Bernini, Italian History, Italian Life, Sicily, travel, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Baroque, Francesco Crispi, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italy, Palermo, Rome, Sicily, Travel

Tomb in San Domenico, Palermo

Tomb in San Domenico, Palermo

Tell you about them sobbin’ women
Who lived in the Roman days…
Oh, yes, them women were sobbin’
Sobbin’, sobbin’ buckets of tears
Mighty sad!

—“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”
lyrics by Johnnie Mercer

Ever since I visited Sicily, this song from the übersexist but irresistible 1954 movie musical “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” has been going through my head. As much as I’d prefer “O Sole Mio” or some other appropriately Italian earworm, this is what I got. Here’s why…

San Domenico

San Domenico cathedral, Palermo

Arriving in late May, we visited the church of San Domenico, a baroque cathedral that, like many buildings in Palermo, looks a little run-down and rugged on the outside. Inside, however, we found a treasure trove of Sicilian history.

This cathedral is where many of Palermo’s noblemen and famous artists are buried, and each of the tributes, created by different artists, depicts a beautiful woman crying, mourning or generally mooning the guy buried there. Each figure has a romantic, ethereal and adoring vibe, but also a kind of trashy-novel sexiness that I just couldn’t resist. (Unfortunately, I couldn’t ID the one above.)

I started humming “Sobbin’ Women” (aka Sabine women) and wondering who these guys were who wanted to have gorgeous young women adoring them for eternity (what man doesn’t, I suppose). Clearly they were men of means, but were these women glorified representations of their wives? Or mistresses? Or just symbolic representations of some facet of the men’s lives? I really hoped it was the former, because how fun would that be?

I started researching. And now I wish I’d had a more detailed guidebook to tell me about these tombs when I was snapping the pics. Still, rather than sobbing buckets of tears about that, I wrote this down. So, here you go: Six “brides” for six Italian brothers-in-arms (or not) from Palermo, and beyond…

1. A Lover and a Fighter: Rosolino Pilo, 1820-1860

Rossolino Pino

Rossolino Pino

Pilo was a suave Sicilian revolutionary who had been torn between love of country and love for a woman. A younger son in a noble family, he’d initially been set to join the church but then opted to enter politics. The Bourbons ruled Sicily at the time and he got caught up in the 1848 fight for Sicilian independence. The revolution succeeded for sixteen months and he became part of the provisional government, which included a progressive constitution calling for a confederation of Italian states. But soon, the Bourbon army returned triumphant and Pilo fled Sicily, winding up in Genoa. And that’s where it gets juicy.

Terzaghi_F.lli_Lit._-_Rosolino_Pilo_-_litografia_-_1861

Che bello! Pilo circa 1861(Litografia edita dai Fratelli Terzaghi)

The social, handsome Pilo attended parties and balls and scandalously fell in love with another man’s wife, Rosetta Borlasca. According to letters he wrote to a friend about her, she was “an oasis for the outcast,” and he loved her madly. Her wedding band was about as much a deterrent as a red stoplight is to drivers today in Palermo—it’s only a suggestion! He wrote, “you know how it happens”: She had an arranged marriage; she doesn’t love the other guy; then one day she meets “a Sicilian with eyes of fire,” with ardor and elegance (if he does say so himself). If you were Rosetta, he asked his friend, what would you do?

Rosetta fell hard, and her husband’s rage knew no bounds. So inflamed was he that Rosetta’s father convinced Pilo to retreat to Nice to let things settle down. But before he did, the husband sent Pilo an insulting letter—calling the revolutionary hero a coward and a villain—and demanding satisfaction with a duel. But the husband never showed up. Rosetta promised her fuming father that she wouldn’t see Pilo anymore, and eventually Pilo got caught up again in Sicilian independence fighting. Their passionate love expressed itself only through their letters. She begged him not to go to war. He professed his undying love—then went to war.

When the Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi landed in Palermo with his troops, Pilo was among them. And he fought until he was killed in a dramatic hail of bullets when Bourbon troops surprised the guerillas he led on the mountains of Monreale, near Palermo. Francesco Crispi, who became the premiere of the united Italy, recounted his death in a letter: “a ball struck him in the head, and [he] fell without being able to utter a word.” Garibaldi ensured that Pilo’s funeral would be paid for by the state. Nobody knows what became of Rosetta. Perhaps she’s looking over his tomb.

2. A Romantic Poet: Guiseppe de Spuches, 1819-1884

Giuseppe de Spuches

Giuseppe de Spuches

I was an English major, so I probably should’ve heard of Guiseppe, a Sicilian poet—but I hadn’t. And it turns out Google hasn’t either! Although I searched for some info on his life, what I found was that he was likely married to Giuseppina Turrisi Colonna (I can only hope he loved her as madly as Pino loved Rosetta).

I also found his poems. And he definitely had a romantic temperament. His poems are titled, “For Her,” “Loneliness,”  “The Dove,” among many others.

“Loneliness” begins:

Virgin beautiful and dear,
The white pallor of her cheeks,
Oh! How melancholy,
Your face sculpts the altar of my heart!

Or something like that. My Italian isn’t quite up to translating 19th-century romantic poetry.

The woman looking lovingly over his grave is likely the muse of poetry.

3. A Scholar and Politician: Domenico Lofaso Pietrasanta di Serradifalco, 1783-1863

Serradifalco

Serradifalco

Say that name three times fast. The weeping woman on his grave isn’t quite so sexy, and since he was an architect, scholar and wrote several books about ancient and medieval Sicilian monuments, she’s probably a muse. Serradifalco, too, came from a noble Sicilian family, and studied architecture and archeology in Milan. After the 1848 revolution and for the brief period Sicily gained independence, he served as Speaker of Peers in the parliament and the country’s foreign minister.

Like Pilo, he was forced into exile after the Bourbons returned, and he fled to Florence. But when Garibaldi liberated Sicily, he returned to become President of the Commission of Antiquities and Fine Art.

On his tomb it reads: “He promoted Sicilian arts and letters with his mind and his inheritance.” So he put his money where his mouth was.

4. A Lover of Dante: Francesco Paolo Perez, 1812-1892

F. P. Perez

F. P. Perez

I love this lady, sculpted by Domenico Delisi, and I like to think she’s Beatrice, from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Information is scarce (online!) about Perez’s love life, but Beatrice definitely played a part—Perez was a Dante scholar.

The Salutation of Beatrice, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

The Salutation of Beatrice, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

I discovered that the F.P. on the tomb stands for Francesco Paolo, and that he was a mayor of Palermo. He, too, was involved in the 1848 revolution. Like the other men, he went into exile and returned to a political career in Palermo after 1860, becoming the Minister of Education. He wrote several books related to Dante, including The First Allegory and Purpose of the Divine Comedy and one titled Beatrice Unveiled.

From Palermo, we traveld through Sicily and wound up in Catania, where we found another interesting tomb:

5. An Opera Maestro: Vincenzo Bellini, 1801-1835

Vincenzo Bellini

Vincenzo Bellini

Here’s one man I had heard of: Vincenzo Bellini, an opera composer whose works are still performed today—the Metropolitan Opera includes three in the coming season, “La Sonnambula,” “I Puritani” and “Norma.” (See Anna Netrebko in a clip singing from “La Sonnambula” here.)

Bellini had been a child prodigy (just like my 400-year-old boyfriend Bernini). Legend has it he began studying music theory at age two, piano at three and wrote his first works at the age of six. It’s a good thing he got started so early because, sadly, he died at 33 from an acute inflammation of the intestine.

Vincenzo_belliniApparently he was quite a dandy, and the woman on his grave is obviously the muse (or angel) of music, because: 1.) she has wings; and 2.) Bellini, reportedly, was gay. His “central relationship” was with Francesco Florimo, and after Bellini’s death, one source I read says Florimo, a music historian, was treated as Bellini’s “spiritual heir,” whatever that means!

6. Tragic Knowledge: Cardinal Domenico Pimentel, 1584-1653

Cardinal Domenico Pimentel

Cardinal Domenico Pimentel

Though this isn’t from Sicily—it’s found in Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome—the tomb of Spanish cardinal Pimentel is one of my favorites because Gian Lorenzo Bernini created the original design—although other artists carried out the production of the work.

Sad Knowledge

Sad Knowledge

No scandalous love life for the cardinal that I could find, so the sarcophagus is adorned with four allegorical figures: Charity, Justice, Knowledge and Faith, with the deceased Cardinal kneeling on top. But just look at the figure on the right (I think that’s Knowledge), sobbing with her hands over her face.

The anguish is palpable. Even in a work ultimately produced by other artists, Bernini’s ability to depict emotion that reaches out and grabs you by the throat is astounding.

Just when I was wondering where the women’s tombs are with hottie men standing over them, guess what I found? Also in Santa Maria sopra Minerva, hidden in a dark corner near the entrance is the tomb of Virginia Pucci.

Virginia Pucci

Virginia Pucci

Who was Virginia? Well…I can’t find anything about her online so until I dig a little deeper, she’s a 16th-century noblewoman, with lots of cherubs mourning her passing (no life-size weeping men for her).

I know what figure I wouldn’t mind overlooking my sarcophagus someday (a really, really long time from now)…

Bernini's David

Bernini’s David

Ciao!

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Orvieto Celebrates Corpus Domini

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by SearchingForBernini in History, Italian History, Italian Life, Orvieto, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Corpus Christi, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Italy, jesus christ superstar, joseph and the amazing technicolor, Orvieto, Pope Urban IV, ted neeley, Travel

Orvieto welcomes the crowds for Corpus Domini
Orvieto welcomes the crowds for Corpus Domini
Lamberto Bernadini, a shop-owner
Lamberto Bernadini, a shop-owner
Drums
Drums
Corteo delle Donne
Corteo delle Donne

Medieval Times

On June 1, I traveled to Orvieto, to check out the annual historic and religious procession in this ancient Umbrian town for Corpus Domini (also known as Corpus Christi). In 1264, Pope Urban IV established the holiday from Orvieto, where he was living at the time, which is one reason why the event is the most important to the Orvietani, following Christmas and Easter.

Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene) and Ted Neeley (Jesus) in "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene) and Ted Neeley (Jesus) in “Jesus Christ Superstar”

I’m not a Catholic, so once again this was a great learning experience (and for any Catholics who may read this, mea culpa in advance for anything I get wrong! I never went to Sunday school. Instead I got most of my religious education from Andrew Lloyd Webber: “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”—religion seems to me a strange thing, mystifying).

Pope Urban IV

Pope Urban IV

So back to what I learned on this search (and sadly, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, my 400-year-old boyfriend, doesn’t have much to do with Orvieto, so he doesn’t really figure in this search): Pope Urban IV established Corpus Domini as a holiday to encourage commemoration of the Eucharist, established at the Last Supper, when Jesus reportedly consecrated bread and wine and gave them to his disciples, saying, “this is my body,” and “this is my blood,” and urged his followers to repeat the rite in his memory.

Pope Urban hoped the new holiday would stanch some of the “heretical” movements at the time and reinvigorate deference for the Eucharist.

A tapestry depicting the Miracle of Bolsena

A tapestry depicting the Miracle of Bolsena

This year, 2013, marked the 750th anniversary of the Miracle of Bolsena, which seems to have prompted Pope Urban’s idea to create the new holiday. The miracle occurred in 1263, when a doubting priest, while celebrating Mass in Bolsena, looked down and found his hands covered in blood. The blood had begun to drip from a consecrated statue of Jesus. The parishioners delivered a cloth used to collect the blood to Pope Urban in Orvieto, who absolved the shaken (and presumably now-committed) priest.

(The journey of the cloth from Bolsena to Orvieto is recalled with a midnight walk during Corpus Domini, which my friend and newly minted Orvietana, Toni DeBella, completed this year. All six hours of it. In the pouring rain and through muddy forests in the pitch black. Arriving around 6 a.m.—for Mass. You can check out her story about it on Italian Notebook.)

And so, as part of Orvieto’s Corpus Domini procession, the holy cloth—which is kept safely protected in the duomo the other 364 days of the year—is accompanied through the town by a parade of citizens in jewel-toned costumes.

Men carrying holy candles and representing one of the quarters

Men carrying holy candles and representing one of Orvieto’s four quartiere

It’s a true living history event. With some dramatic entrances:

Insert your "Men in Tights" joke here.

Insert your “Men in Tights” joke here.

On Saturday afternoon, the festivities begin with the Corteo delle Dame e dei Popolani (Parade of Ladies and Peasants). They’re accompanied by drummers and the occasional bagpipe.

The women of Orvieto
The women of Orvieto
Bagpipe players
Bagpipe players
Girls of all ages dress up
Girls of all ages dress up

Orvieto was (and is) divided into four quarters—Corsica, Serancia, Olmo and Santa Maria della Stella—each represented by different flags (I don’t believe these below represent the four, but it gives you the idea).

corpus flags

Flags in Orvieto

Unlike the Corteo delle Donne, which included some men, on Sunday, the parade consists exclusively of men (natch!). But some of them were just as pretty to look at.

Ciao bello!

Ciao bello!

The procession includes representations of the municipal courts of the time, coats of arms and weapons of the noble families of Orvieto.

Men in helmets...
Men in helmets…
...and chain mail
…and chain mail

Also represented are the various guilds of the town, from barbers to ironworkers, bookmakers and vintners. They all have their own colorful banner.

Bookmakers' guild (I believe) in the center
Bookmakers’ guild (I believe) in the center
Vintners' guild (in green)
Vintners’ guild (in green)
Barbers' guild (right)
Barbers’ guild (right)

At the duomo, at the end of the day, priests ceremoniously return the sacred cloth for safekeeping—accompanied by a crowd of devoted citizens who form a candle-light parade inside the magnificent cathedral, while the impressive organ booms out notes from what I think is Handel’s “Messiah.”

Orvieto duomo

Orvieto duomo

If you want to hear a tiny snippet of the organ music, click here! Ciao!

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Paper-making In Rome

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by SearchingForBernini in Art, Art History, Bernini, History, Italian History, Italian Life, Uncategorized

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Tags

Bernini, Florence, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Italy, Renaissance, Rome, Travel

How To Judge A Book By Its Cover

diary

Did you ever wonder how that beautiful decorative Italian paper is created? No? Well, in all honesty, any curiosity I had didn’t keep me up at night either, but I am searching for new experiences and knowledge in Rome. So one day after Italian class recently I wandered into Il Papiro, a decorative paper and stationery store near Rome’s Pantheon that’s part of a chain originating in Florence. My friends and I were treated to an impromptu demonstration of how the gorgeous designs are made and preserved on paper.

First, a thick gel is used. It’s like wallpaper glue, explained the woman giving the demonstration:

She starts with the glue-like gel as a base

She starts with the glue-like gel as a base

Then, she tapped the chosen colors of paint from a brush onto the glue so that it looked somewhat like a Jackson Pollock design in the making.

Tap the paint into the glue

Tap the paint into the glue

Once the desired colors were resting on the glue’s surface, she took the end of a brush and ran it gently in a zig-zag fashion through the glue so that the colors were evenly spread in lines but not blended all together.

Streaking the colors

Streaking the colors

She wanted to show us different traditional patterns, so next she took a comb-like instrument and gently drew it across the paint.

Combing the colors

Combing the colors

Again taking the pointy-end of a brush, she made some more finishing touches to perfect the shell design:

A shell game

A shell game

Almost ready for transfer to paper

Almost ready for transfer to paper

Next, she carefully laid a piece of stiff parchment on top of the glue and then oh-so-delicately dragged it along on top and out of the glue…

The paper lies on the glue for mere seconds

The paper lies on the glue for mere seconds

And eccola—it’s miraculous!

It takes about an hour or so for the paper to dry

It takes about an hour or so for the paper to dry

The finished product

The finished product

From some quick research, I’ve since learned that paper-making began to flourish in Italy in the middle ages, and grew into an industry in Florence and the surrounding territories. According to A Brief History of Paper, by Neathery Batsell Fuller (yes, that really is the author’s name!), the rich and powerful Fabriano family held a monopoly on paper making, to the extent that fines of 50 ducats (about $225 in todays dollars) were levied against those who tried to open factories within 50 miles of Fabriano buildings.

The marbling design of decorative paper originated in the Middle East but made its way to Europe around the time of the Renaissance, where the Italians developed their own flourishes. Many of the same traditions are still followed today.

Italians (and Europeans in general) fell so in love with the colorful designs they not only began using them in book binding but in lining trunks and shelves, wallpaper and much more. I’m keeping my Italian diary in an Italian paper-bound notebook: No matter how illegible my handwriting or mundane my thoughts are on the inside—it’s elegant and intriguing if you judge it solely by its cover. Ciao!

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