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Faculty members who are based in Meredith’s Italian home of Sansepolcro are visiting campus to connect with students and faculty here in Raleigh
Associate Director of Meredith in Italy Sara Andreini is on campus for three weeks and Instructor Antonella Mercati was at Meredith for a one-week visit
One of the purposes of their visit is to meet with students who are interested in studying abroad in Sansepolcro
Meredith College has long had a strong study abroad program based in Sansepolcro
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Meredith’s opening of its study abroad site at the Palazzo Alberti. Watch a tour of the Palazzo
approximately 140 members of the Meredith community will reside in the Palazzo Alberti through college-sponsored programs
Andreini lives in Sansepolcro and supports students
and staff from Meredith who study and travel there
In addition to providing valuable on-site support
she teaches a course for fall semester students called Italy Today
“Sara has been connected with Meredith College since our relationship began with the town of Sansepolcro over 30 years ago,” said Dr
Andreini enjoys visiting Meredith each year
“My favorite part of the visit is to be back with my Meredith family and with my students and colleagues who are now friends,” she said
Mercati teaches art history for Meredith in Italy
While she has taught for Meredith since 2015
this was her first time visiting Meredith and North Carolina
“Antonella is an accomplished artist and educator who also lives in Sansepolcro
she has regularly taught an art history course for Meredith students who study abroad in Sansepolcro for the fall semester.”
she will be meeting with faculty to develop Italy study abroad programs for 2025 and 2026
She will also be connecting with colleagues throughout Meredith to strengthen relationships between the Raleigh campus and our study abroad site in Sansepolcro
Mercati also met with faculty and students in Meredith’s art department
The Office of International Programs will host a drop-in event on Monday
and staff who would like to say ‘Ciao!’ to Sara while she’s here,” Shurer said
While on campus, Andreini and Mercati were asked questions about themselves and Sansepolcro for a social media video promoting study abroad. Watch the video on Meredith’s YouTube channel
UMBERTIDE AGAPE (4-1-3-2): Landi; Luchetti (8' st Pazzaglia), Grilli, Capati, Benedetti; Rodrigue; Polidoro (12' st Paciotti), Bigarelli (30' st Aversario). Coach Marco Sabatini.
SANSEPOLCRO (4-3-1-2): Vaccarecci; Del Siena (46' st Paoli), Lorenzoni, Adreani, Merciari (1' st Innocentini); Bruschi (26' st Petricci), Gorini, Corsini; Pasquali; Bartoccini (11' st Mariotti), Valori (20' st Quadroni). Coach Antonio Armillei.
Note: spectators present over 1000 of which 600 from Sansepolcro
“He left in the Borgo bonissime facultà et alcune case che egli stesso si aveva edificate
le quali per le parti furono arseite e rovinate l’anno 1536.” So wrote Giorgio Vasari in the Life of Piero della Francesca
although the Biturgense artist’s career had led him far and wide throughout Central Italy to attend to commissions of great prestige
he had never severed the umbilical cord that bound him to his hometown
is testified to us not only by the fair number of works he produced for the town of Sansepolcro
but also by the roles in public life he held in the small Valtiberina municipality
despite the centuries that stand between his life and our contemporary times
has been preserved by maintaining for more than thirty years now a public function related to the enhancement of studies concerning one of the most important protagonists of Renaissance painting in Italy.The house of Piero della Francesca or dei Franceschi stands just a few meters from the Cathedral of Sansepolcro
which seems not to have suffered the passage of time
and so also the residence of the painter seems to be unchanged
The imposing and sober building that occupies almost an entire block appears from period documents to have been owned by the Franceschi family since at least 1350
The artist’s family lived here: his father Benedetto
with the tanning of leather in a workshop in Cantone dei Graziani
and Pierino da Monterchi’s mother Romana
who would later carry on the family business
who continued to reside in the building even when married
And in good probability Piero was also born here in an imprecise year to be placed between 1406 and 1416
The same artist is said to have overseen the reorganization of the building during an expansion that took place around 1465 following a bequest in his will from a relative priest
This is still discernible in the architectural layout
such as in the rhythmic scansion of the windows
which seems to respond to that one panel devoted to architecture found in De prospectiva pingendi
the famous treatise on perspective left to us by the artist
the completed project was not seen by Piero
struck the building when it was still owned by the Franceschi family
the house had various changes of ownership: from Luigi Graziani
who had received it as a dowry by marrying a Franceschi
and who was the author of the restoration after the fire damage
the family also infamous for having impoverished the building of the fresco by Piero’s hand that was still preserved
thanks to the interest of the unforgettable art historian Mario Salmi
the house was purchased by the State Property Office
entering into a contract to turn it into a study center dedicated to the painter
Following a long restoration and with the establishment of the Piero della Francesca Foundation
in 1990 the building finally took on a public purpose
and endowing itself over time with a collection open to the public
with the aim of enhancing the memory of the great artist
although the building is partly modified from when it was inhabited by Piero with his family
an atmosphere is evoked that allows the visitor to relive the artist’s living spaces
all this without relying on easy as well as questionable furnishing solutions
but instead allowing the architecture to express itself to the fullest
one can still find the original stone elements probably wanted by the artist in the rearrangement
such as the doorway with architrave decorated with thistle flowers and palmettes
which also seems to have been repainted in the background of the Flagellation
and here one can also find the family coat of arms in pietra serena
with a display that serves as an in-depth bibliography of Piero; in fact
including texts by Luca Pacioli among the first to mention Piero della Francesca
and to call him “monarch of Painting in his day.” It then moves on to publications by English
German and French authors who had the merit even before the Italians of rediscovering Piero
and then again the works of Roberto Longhi
including the 1927 monograph that was fundamental for the resumption of studies in Italy
Also in the room is a polychrome terracotta sculpture attributed to Angelo Tricca
with a youthful Portrait of Piero from the deposits of the Civic Museum of Sansepolcro
which for a long time held the Madonna of Mercy
which in the 17th century had been dismantled and reused in a Baroque-style altar
This is followed by a room devoted to temporary exhibitions
sometimes including contemporary installations
and then by the reconstruction of a studium
a research space that Piero and Luca Pacioli had in Sansepolcro
where editions of the treatises and some polyhedrons
complex geometric shapes that interested both Biturgens scholars
as well as an inlay on deposit from the Museo Civico
part of a 15th-century wooden choir that Salmi traced back to the Pierfrancesque school because of the great perspective interest these panels show
Also on the ground floor is a room with grotesques
which displays in the showcases some dazzling ceramics with naturalistic motifs and headdresses
inspired by the frescoes of the Cycle of the True Cross and made in 1992 for the exhibition Con gli occhi di Piero
one crosses some functional spaces for the Foundation’s meetings and used as a library
that of the ancient house: descending a monumental staircase
embellished by vaulted ceilings with refined stone corbels
These spaces probably also housed the kitchens
now evoked by a fireplace not from the period
and then there are some multimedia installations
which provide insight into Piero’s works and studies
still part of what documents recall as the "new house," is a splendid loggia overlooking the historic center of Sansepolcro
which has remained virtually unchanged since Piero’s time in these spaces
which the artist probably also took up in some of his paintings
Also on display here is a selection of sumptuous jewelry by Giulio Manfredi of Piacenza
designer and master goldsmith celebrated throughout the world
taken from Piero’s works and in particular from the Brera Altarpiece
which shows a very varied sampler of necklaces
or like the splendid crown placed on the head of the Queen of Sheba in the Arezzo frescoes; others
We are then ushered into the large room where conferences and conventions of important cultural stature are held
The space is adjacent to the room that was once the artist’s bedroom
painted by Piero and his only known work of mythological subject matter
That “overly nervous giant,” as Longhi wrote of it
was sadly detached and sold by the owners of the time
who thought to compensate for the loss with an epigraph
unfortunately unprotected by the laws of the time
is now at theIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston
and depicts the demigod in an attitude of contemplative repose
Although not yet the iconography of the Hercules at the Crossroads
the fresco anticipates the theme of virtus that would later have wide appeal in the homes of artists and intellectuals
demonstrating how Piero della Francesca had achieved increased social prestige
The house of Piero della Francesca therefore not only stands out as a splendid museum thanks to a striking period architecture
architectural and perspective researches of Piero
but also finds fulfillment in the collections
which are varied and arranged tastefully and soberly
the fact that it draws its main raison d’être not so much from tourist enjoyment but from the desire to promote research dedicated to the artist
thanks to the serious commitment of the Foundation assisted by a scientific committee with leading names in the history of national and international art
makes Piero della Francesca’s birthplace one of the most successful and meritorious musealized artist’s houses active on the Italian territory
Claudia Pritchard on the extraordinary tale of how Piero della Francesca’s 1460s fresco 'The Resurrection' was saved
the writer Aldous Huxley once undertook a seven-hour bus ride from Urbino to Sansepolcro in Tuscany
to see Piero della Francesca’s 1460s fresco The Resurrection
The journey time may have been exaggerated
it was a potent reminder of accountability
the Tuscan city’s museum is wrapped around The Resurrection
yet it would have been destroyed during the Second World War without the insubordination of a British officer
As the Allies made their way up through Italy
they dispersed any pockets of German occupation with artillery fire
Capt Anthony Clarke and his men looked down on Sansepolcro from a vantage point
he instructed his men not to bombard the town
but the four soldiers guarding the tomb of the risen Christ in della Francesca's work certainly are
is considered to be a self-portrait of the artist
Despite the fact that Piero was a masterly mathematician as well as painter
the snoozing soldiers do not seem to have enough legs to go around..
The architect Lachie Stewart chooses a Piero della Francesca masterpiece from the 15th century
The film director and writer chooses 'The Subway' by George Tooker
an artist who John McEwen describes as 'one of
'The perspective appealed to my scientific instincts
with its geometry incised into the white gesso priming'
Mary Miers teamed up with an old friend as she visited one of Italy's most enchanting regions
“It’s a great opportunity for players with and without disabilities to come together,” said Manuel Matute Martinez
and that’s the mission of Special Olympics
was originally set to take place in 2021 but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 emergency
the pandemic has had a huge impact on the Special Olympics movement
COVID-19 severely impacted the athletes’ physical and mental health
and many of them had no other choice but to leave Special Olympics activities
A 2021 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Catalyst found that people with intellectual disabilities are almost six times more likely to die from COVID than the general population
people with intellectual disabilities able to access Special Olympics sports training and competition locally fell by a staggering 45%
this resulted in the global number of athletes falling from 6.7 million to 3.7 million
When it comes to the sport of basketball in the Special Olympics Europe Eurasia region the numbers speak for themselves
the number of basketball players dropped by 35% (39,795 in 2019 to 25,803 in 2021) as trainings and competitions were cancelled due to the threat of the virus
Danger of infection and medical complications has meant many athletes are no longer active with Special Olympics in their communities
and the Special Olympics European Unified Basketball tournament is the first step in engaging them back
Special Olympics Italy and their local organising committee set up a three-day competition for basketball players all over Europe and made them feel at home and welcome
And the local community of Sansepolcro showed no less interest: from the Mayor of Sansepolcro to the shop owners
everyone contributed to make the event impactful on both a local
“I’m thrilled to have this tournament here in Sansepolcro with so many international teams,” commented Mirko Tiossi
Special Olympics athlete playing for the home team
“Our whole community sees us now; they support us and are here to see what wonderful things we are capable of!”
The Special Olympics European Unified Youth Basketball tournament has been a major milestone for Special Olympics Europe Eurasia and an example of respect
dedication and friendship that goes beyond level of ability as well as country borders
“It’s extremely important to participate in this kind of events,” commented Daria Mieloszynska
“[The athletes] show us how to push our limits
But seeing their own excitement and how much progress they made… It really shows us that sky is the limit.”
In 2023, Meredith College offered its first spring break study abroad program in Italy. Now, the quilt created by students in that class has a new home in the Palazzo Alberti, Meredith’s site in Sansepolcro.
Students in the course, “Intersections: Math, Art, and Italy,” met weekly during the semester, including 11 days of travel to Italy. Most of the 11 students in the class were Mathematics majors. The instructors for the class were Mathematics faculty members Tim Hendrix and Julie Kolb and Visual Art Professor Emerita Rebecca Bailey.
“The focus of the class was the inseparable connection between artistic practice and innovation with mathematical principles during the Renaissance,” said Bailey.
Italy was an ideal location for this subject area.
Student Mei Li Moo King,’23, said her favorite parts of the program were “finally seeing historical landmarks after learning about them, learning about how math intersects with art, and learning about [Sansepolcro native] Piero della Francesca’s contributions to mathematics.”
In the class, students learned about linear perspective and the mathematical basis for repeating patterns, seeing examples of this throughout Italy.
“They followed up their observations with hands-on practice doing drawings using rules of linear perspective,” Bailey said. “Students also observed the many examples of repetition of patterns that they saw in Rome in works thousands of years old, in Renaissance art and architecture everywhere we traveled and in the structures that line the streets in Sansepolcro.”
One of the class assignments was to design and create a quilt square using patterns, a new experience for many of them. Kolb also created a square.
“Each square was inspired by a photograph that the students took during our travel time. Of the 11 students in the class, only three had ever sewn,” said Kolb. “I sewed the quilt together after we returned from Italy and had the quilt professionally quilted.”
The class donated their final project to be displayed in the Palazzo Alberti. It was unveiled in its new home this summer.
Safa Ahmed, ’23, is pleased that the quilt is on display in the palazzo, illustrating the relationships built in the class.
“The quilt holds so many memories, not only of the places and structures that we were inspired by but also of the long days and nights we all spent planning and designing and working on it,” Ahmed said. “Before the class, most of us were strangers, but the trip created a bond between us. The quilt is like a physical representation of that bond.”
Alexis Moseley, ’25, took inspiration from the class’s visit to Deruta, Italy. “I was just so amazed by all the different hand-painted ceramics and colors that I had taken several pictures of ceramics that I had seen,” Moseley said.
Wanjiru Mambo, ’24, said the class taught her design thinking or “how to use the power of imagination and creative thinking to translate an idea to a piece of art.” She was inspired by an art piece in the Museo Civico di Sansepolcro but tweaked the colors to represent her experiences in Italy.
“The choice of colors is also a significant part of the quilt. The green and red are borrowed from the colors of the Italian flag and are symbolic of my appreciation for Italian culture while the yellow represents the vibrance of Sansepolcro and the surrounding community,” Mambo said.
Moseley hopes the quilt is inspiring to future students who visit the Palazzo Alberti.
“When we visited the palazzo we saw what other students created during their time there, so it is really nice to have that same thing for future students when they visit,” Moseley said. “They will be able to see our quilt and read about all of our inspirations and how well it came together in the end.”
The Office of International Programs plans to offer another spring break study abroad program to Sansepolcro in March 2024. This program will be connected with a spring semester class on Shakespeare and race.
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Print SANSEPOLCRO
can’t match Florence and Siena for culture
It isn’t even on the top of a hill like San Gimignano
“some fine Renaissance palaces; a not very interesting church
and the best painting in the world” — the “Resurrection,” completed around 1470 by Sansepolcro native Piero della Francesca
It is a special masterpiece by a master known chiefly to art historians
a multifaceted Renaissance man who wrote books on mathematics
geometry and perspective that guided his brush without dictating to it
leaving him free to paint with imagination and heart
His masterpieces exist in a singular zone where intellect and feeling meet
But Piero was a slow painter who left scant testaments to his genius; few of his greatest paintings have made their way to big museums
His most representative works — the “Resurrection,” “Pregnant Madonna,” “Flagellation of Christ” and “Legend of the True Cross” fresco cycle — remain in or near the places for which they were commissioned
arrayed as if in a gallery across the upper Tiber River Valley
a fair but often overlooked corner of Italy where the present-day provinces of Tuscany
Last spring I drove from Rome to Piero’s Valtiberina
Long before I caught sight of the “Resurrection” I was in the artist’s color box
passing cherry orchards all bridal white and pink
at the divine hour of passeggiata when everyone takes an evening stroll
the town is surrounded by business parks and suburban sprawl
a modestly sized rectangle with walls built by the Medicis of Florence
Tourists flock to Sansepolcro in September for medieval crossbow and flag-waving festivals that feature participants in costumes modeled after Piero paintings
But I found mostly locals coming home from Mass
spotless streets with limited car traffic and a hush of civility
is lined with Renaissance palaces that have modish shops on the ground floor; it comes to a halt at gently sloping Piazza Torre di Berta
Adjoining is Huxley’s not very interesting cathedral
a Romanesque cavern built to enshrine relics brought from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to Italy in the 10th century by pilgrims Arcano and Egidio
customarily credited as the founders of Sansepolcro
bearing his coat of arms but not open to the public
across the street from a small garden with a 19th century statue of him heroically holding a palette
On the way back to the piazza I passed what might be a more reliable likeness
Tradition has it that Piero included a self-portrait among the figures of sleeping soldiers in his “Resurrection,” which is visible day and night through a window at the Civic Museum
pressed my nose to the glass for several moments
There aren’t many places to stay in the historic center
so it was easy to choose Locanda del Giglio
an inn with four comfortable suites above one of the oldest restaurants in town
bleached oak floors and casement windows overlooking Via XX Settembre
leaning out the window watching the passeggiata
antique fireplace and decorations alla nonna
She or some other gifted Uccellini inspired the menu
full of hardy Tuscan specialties such as the roast duck in fennel I had that night
followed by the dessert cart heaped with every sweet in nonna’s recipe box
I reserved the next morning to look more closely at the “Resurrection” in the Civic Museum
a well-planned suite of galleries in a 15th century palazzo
works by Piero followers such as Matteo di Giovanni and Piero’s own “Misericordia” altarpiece of the Madonna
her cape outspread to shelter worshippers at her feet
But the indisputable star of the show is the “Resurrection,” thought to have been painted in the early 1460s
It depicts Christ climbing out of his tomb on Easter morning
in the very process of changing from mortal to god
in effect saying to the observer: Look what happened while you weren’t watching
I carried tidings of the “Resurrection” with me that afternoon as I drove to Arezzo
The Tuscan provincial capital has its own favorite son Giorgio Vasari who wrote admiringly about Piero in his 1550 treatise “Lives of the Most Eminent Painters
Sculptors and Architects.” The town’s hilltop historic center is reached from parking lots below by steps and escalators that landed me near Vasari’s house and the 13th century cathedral
She’s lovely but just a warm-up for the “Legend of the True Cross” in the Church of San Francesco downhill from the cathedral
its 10 panels fill the walls of a soaring chapel
chronicling the saga of Catholicism’s most sacred relic
from the tree — planted on the grave of Adam — that supplied the wood
if apocryphal meeting of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba; and Emperor Constantine dreaming of the cross on the eve of battle
Great swaths of history are telescoped by Piero’s imagination
in a grand panoply of the Italian Renaissance world
then drove east to the miniscule hill town of Monterchi
surrounded by fields near the border of Tuscany and Umbria
Just below its walls another holy site awaits pilgrims: the “Pregnant Madonna.”
She was painted by Piero for a country church that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1785
In 1991 the village built a little museum for its great treasure depicting a young
Scholars say her pained expression prefigures the Crucifixion
but mothers recognize the 81/2-month look that asks
knowing I had to leave early the next morning
But before dinner I returned to the window at the Civic Museum for a last look at the “Resurrection.” Sir Kenneth Clark called the rising Christ a “country god
who has been worshipped ever since man first knew that seed is not dead in the winter earth
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GO TO SANSEPOLCRO (4-3-3): Vaccarecci; Innocentini, Adreani, Petricci, Del Siena (9' st Brizzi); Bruschi, Gorini, Corsini (9' st Merciari); Pasquali, Bartoccini, Valori (38' st Mariotti. Available: Vassallo, Lorenzoni, Testerini, Carbonaro, Quadroni, Barculli. Coach Armillei
PIETRALUNGHESE (3-4-3): Abibi; Met Hasani, Capezzuto, Magalotti; Convito (37' st Eramo), Marietti (21' st Francioni), Locchi (29' st Duranti), Pauselli; Ventanni (21' st Simoncini), Rossi (21' st Aquilini), Mangiaratti. Subs: Nappo, Lilli, Brunella, Balini. Provincial Coach
Referee: Elijah of Ostia Lido (Krriku of Foligno and Bicaroni of Foligno).
Scorers: 38' pt and 3' st Mangiaratti, 11' st and 19' st Valori.
Footnotes: Brizzi (S) sent off in the 49th minute of the second half. Yellow cards: Gorini, Mariotti (S), Abibi, Locchi, Aquilini (P).
“the most beautiful resurrection in the History of Art.” Also located there is the Polyptych of Our Lady of Mercy
on which the Biturgese artist worked on several occasions between 1445 and 1462
dominated by the central panel with the Madonna opening her cloak to welcome the faithful and assuming the features of a “Bramantean niche,” as Roberto Longhi wrote of it
Completing the nucleus of works by Pierofrancesco are the two fragments of frescoes of St
still show that volumetric rendering and clarity typical of Piero
In addition to a selection of frescoes and sinopias from the city’s churches
the museum displays important works such as the panel of San Quintino
who recalls how it was initially commissioned from Gianmaria Pichi
but was eventually made by the master willing to help his disciple
The martyred saint is mindful in his slightly twisting pose of the classical sculptures of Praxiteles
while the natural landscape behind him shows suggestions poised between the lesson of Fra Bartolomeo and that of Piero di Cosimo
Also of great quality is the complex glazed ceramic dossal with the Nativity by Andrea della Robbia
one of the highest examples of the Della Robbia spreads found in these lands
Other works by artists native to Sansepolcro
should be mentioned as being of no small interest
Another artistic treasure trove is the Cathedral of Sansepolcro
with Roman-Gothic features to which it was restored by an arbitrary restoration perpetuated in the first half of the 20th century by erasing its Baroque elements
The building began as an abbey in the complex of a Benedictine settlement that arose in the 10th century
perhaps to house the relics of the Holy Sepulcher
which according to ancient tradition were brought by two pilgrims from the Holy Land
The temple was enlarged when it became part of the Camaldolese congregation and then again in the 14th century
before rising to the role of bishopric in the 16th century
Although in the course of time it was impoverished of some works, the most famous of which is Piero della Francesca’s Baptism of Christ , which was unhappily sold and after several changes of ownership came to the National Gallery in London
very important masterpieces of art history are still preserved there
The oldest is the Holy Face: a polychrome wooden statue of Christ Crucified
which shows remarkable affinities with the Holy Face of Lucca
for some it can be dated to the 8th-9th century while some lean toward the 11th century
and exhibits exceptional coloring (probably applied in the 12th century)
both in the flesh of Christ and in the heavenly priestly robe
not made by human hand but by divine intervention
who took it up again in the delicate tabernacle kept here
Also by the della Robbia school are two ceramic sculptures of Saints Benedict and Romualdo on the counter façade
Raphael del Colle also certainly could not have been unaware of comparing himself with Piero when he painted his Resurrection for the Cathedral
one of the earliest known works by the painter who was a pupil of Raphael
Other important works arranged in the aisles of the Cathedral are Perugino’sAscension of Christ
which repeats a model he had already made for the church of the Abbey of St
Peter in Perugia; thefresco with the Crucifixion by Bartolomeo della Gatta
rediscovered during the 20th-century rearrangement of the church; theIncredulity of St
Thomas painted by Santi di Tito; and theAssumption of the Virgin by Jacopo Palma the Younger
where Piero della Francesca is said to have been buried
If you still want to delve deeper into the history of Sansepolcro’s most illustrious painter
which stands in front of the garden dedicated to him
where the statue depicting him sculpted by Arnaldo Zocchi towers
with its sober but fascinating architecture
formerly owned by the Franceschi family before Piero’s birth
was perhaps reorganized by the artist himself
as would be inferred from similarities with an architectural panel in his treatise
now home to the center for studies on the artist and intellectual
there is a museum tour that allows visitors to discover his life and works
But many other treasures of significant quality are preserved in the many sacred places scattered throughout the historic center of Sansepolcro
churches and oratories of great beauty not only for the works they preserve but also for their architecture
The church of San Lorenzo holds one of the most important masterpieces of Mannerism
The facade of the temple is punctuated by an arched portico
just as the bulging body of Christ in Rosso Fiorentino ’s dossal is marked by the pronounced ribs of the rib cage
is perhaps more correctly to be recognized as a Lamentation over the Dead Christ
since Jesus’ bruised body has already been laid down by the Cross
The cross in fact unlike Rosso’s other famous work in Volterra
leaving onlookers to gather around the body of the Messiah
The mournful drama that the Florentine painter infuses the scene with is the result of his tragic experiences with the Sack of Rome and an orientation toward Savonarola’s sermons
Vasari recalls that the work was originally commissioned from Raffaellino del Colle
who instead created the lunette above with God the Father blessing
but the latter decided to sacrifice his interests so that Sansepolcro would be enriched with a painting by the Florentine painter
The panel is currently in Florence where it has been restored by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure
and will soon return to its original location
with an exterior in 14th-century Gothic style but the interior renovated in the 18th century
there is an interesting canvas of the titular saint receiving the stigmata in a setting of lively naturalistic brio and a work by Passignano depicting the Dispute of Jesus among the Doctors
The church and adjoining convent were also frequented by the humanist Luca Pacioli
The sober church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
houses in a sumptuous tabernacle on the high altar the Madonna delle Grazie by Raffaellino del Colle painted for the confraternity to which the painter belonged
The oratory is decorated with a cycle of frescoes painted around the second half of the 16th century with stories from the life of the Virgin
A few steps from Piero della Francesca’s house
where the large altar is a majestic work of carving by the Binoni brothers
which houses a wooden statue of a 13th-century deposed Christ
probably originally part of a dispersed sculptural group
Facing the church is theoratory of the Company of the Crucifix
embellished with frescoes depicting Scenes from the Passion of Christ
who belonged to a prolific dynasty of artists and intellectuals
taken from Leon Battista Alberti ’s design for Giovanni Rucellai’s tomb in San Pancrazio in Florence
The ancient church of Sant’Antonio Abate
in whose façade is set a lunette with a 14th-century bas-relief depicting Christ Blessing between Saints Anthony and Eligius
preserves Luca Signorelli’s Stendardo della Crocifissione (Standard of the Crucifixion ) inside
and is the late work of the Cortona-born artist: on the recto it bears the Crucifixion while on the verso St
The first depiction is characterized by vibrant color rendering and a crowded but harmonious composition
and although the figure of Christ has some weaknesses of proportion
the scene is offset by the lively naturalistic setting that connotes the background of the sacred event
the other side shows the two monumental saints
characterized by their attributes and plastic bodies
the genuflected patrons of small features are arranged with hierarchical perspective
Visitors still not satisfied can also push on to the church of St
where Piero’s Baptism of Christ once stood
now home to the “Bernardini - Fatti” Museum of Stained Glass
23 stained-glass windows of different sizes are on display
by artists active between the 19th and 20th centuries
and marked by the most diverse tastes: from the sober Neo-Renaissance
through the bizarre electric lines of Art Nouveau
The church of Santa Maria dei Servi also constitutes a stop of definite interest for the art lover
thanks to its remarkable paintings; in fact
there is a Mannerist work there by Cristoforo Roncalli known as the Pomarancio and Giovanni Ventura Borghesi
Also on view are the surviving elements of an altarpiece with theAssumption of the Virgin and four saints by Matteo di Giovanni
shows a fair rhythm between the opposing groups occupying the different registers of the work
Slightly further from the center is the church of St
built in the 17th century along with the Capuchin convent
the dossal with Paradise painted by the mannerist painter
connoted by a brilliant palette and a moving composition overflowing with characters
still numerous are the sacred places that the enterprising traveler will be able to discover in the city
and no less interesting are also the secular buildings
And certainly this article does not pretend to exhaust the subject
testifying to how Sansepolcro can boast a cultural heritage of the highest order
Meredith’s campus in Raleigh is often called a home away from home by alumnae
the location of Meredith’s signature study abroad program
has built its own reputation over the past 25 years as a beloved place
Meredith’s first study abroad program in the small medieval town of Sansepolcro
was led by Professor of Art Maureen Banker in the summer of 1992
the College has built lasting connections there
particularly after the College signed a long-term lease on the Palazzo Alberti in 2009
located inside the walled center of the Tuscan town
has been renovated to provide living and learning space for Meredith students and faculty
“We have had a presence in Sansepolcro for 25 years
so the community really welcomes us into the heart of the culture,” said Meredith in Italy Director Catherine Rodgers
the Meredith in Italy program has continued to grow
and the College has recently extended its lease for another five years
Meredith offers programs in Sansepolcro throughout the year
There are fall and spring semester options and a variety of shorter summer options
Director of International Programs Brooke Shurer said another record year of Meredith in Italy enrollment is expected this summer
Semester students can earn general education credits
complete their foreign language requirements
and take courses in the specialty area of the faculty-in-residence
12 students studied Art in Italy with Professor of Art Beth Mulvaney as the faculty-in-residence
Associate Professor of English Kelly Morris Roberts will lead an Italian Life and Culture semester
“The Italy courses are different from the regular Meredith campus classes in one very important way – Italy is your classroom,” said Rodgers
“It is so easy for faculty to link their course content to the life and culture of Italy.”
For students who take Italian courses while studying abroad
getting a chance to practice what they learn is invaluable
“I was able to get all of my foreign language credits in one semester
including the Italian conversation class where we were able to practice our Italian with Italian students practicing their English,” said Ann Cox
“You’re getting to learn the slang and the vernacular from your friends – that’s such an incredible way to practice what you are learning.”
Meredith’s connections in Sansepolcro have been strengthened by Associate Director of Meredith in Italy Sara Andreini
Her father is the former mayor and she has contacts with everyone there,” Rodgers said
Meredith has the only American study abroad program in Sansepolcro
which ensures that students have an authentic Italian experience
They aren’t surrounded by other American tourists or students from other colleges
Andreini believes Sansepolcro has embraced Meredith as part of the community
“The people in town are always waiting for the new Americans coming into town
‘when is the new group coming; when will they be here; how many of them will there be?’,” said Andreini
“There is a strong relationship between the local community and the Meredith College students
while offering a taste of the culture of Italy
Andreini says the purpose of the class is “to give the students an idea of where they are living and what is [authentic] Italia compared to their idea of Italy.”
The course also includes a service learning component in which Meredith students work with English teachers in local schools
This cultural exchange is one way the College gives back to the community
“Basically what the Meredith students do is help the children learn what it’s like to be an American,” said Rodgers
the Meredith students are so enthralled in the process of learning with this group of Italian students that it becomes one of the most important experiences that they have during the semester.”
The service project is an important part of the Meredith in Italy program
both for the educational aspects and the intangible rewards
“I think the rewards are the hugs that I see the children giving the students in the piazza when they meet them after school
A lot of these students will invite our Meredith students into their homes to meet their parents
“Those kinds of experiences are not afforded to students who study abroad in a large city like Florence or Venice or Rome
many things that make studying abroad in Sansepolcro so very special.”
To help celebrate this special anniversary in Sansepolcro
the Office of International Programs sponsored an opportunity for faculty and staff to stay in the Palazzo Alberti
Participants funded their own travel to Italy
but were able to stay in the palazzo at a reduced cost
Preference was given to those who had not yet had the opportunity to visit Meredith’s home in Italy
from departments including college programs
Meredith in Italy Director Catherine Rodgers
former Director of International Programs Betty Webb
and longtime study abroad leader John Rose were onsite to help the travelers make the most of their visit
Alumnae interested in visiting Sansepolcro can do so through the Meredith Travel Program
which frequently includes an add-on visit to the region with tours of Italy
Learn more about Meredith Travel at meredith.edu/alumnae/travel
The Tuscan Intensives Program is a continuing education program for alumnae and friends of the College
Recent programs have focused on Italian art and cuisine
The probable formation of Sansepolcro (4-3-1-2): Vassallo (Vaccarecci); Innocentini, Petricci, Adreani, Lorenzoni; Bruschi, Gorini, Corsini; Pasquali; Valori, Bartoccini. Coach Armillei
Meredith College is pleased to announce that an anonymous donor has recently given a $1 million planned gift to the Sansepolcro program
The gift will support scholarships and maintenance of the Palazzo Alberti
the living and learning space for Meredith students and faculty
“After two trips to Sansepolcro with the Meredith Travel Program
I see how important and valuable this study abroad program is for Meredith students,” said the donor
“These trips confirm my belief that study abroad is needed and important
and a place like Sansepolcro is indeed special and unique.”
This gift was made by a donor whose family has a long history with Meredith
even establishing a scholarship fund in the early 1920s for tuition
The scholarship was permanently endowed 11 years ago by the anonymous donor so the family name would continue to live on and provide financial assistance to those who needed it
the donor decided to revise its purpose and now this scholarship provides support for undergraduate students with financial need who are studying abroad
“I want to share my passion for travel by enabling future generations of students to experience the joy
and excitement of exploring other countries and cultures,” said the donor in 2011
After visiting Sansepolcro and seeing the small community where students are living and learning
the donor created a new $1 million planned gift
“Studying abroad gives these young women confidence and it broadens their horizons
The curriculum is quite broad and the arts
It gives them a different perspective,” said the donor
Meredith has had a presence in Sansepolcro
Meredith began leasing the 16th century Palazzo Alberti and the program has continued to grow
and many friends of the College have experienced this special place,” said Brooke Shurer
“The opportunity to study in an authentic Tuscan town
where we are welcomed as members of the community
The donor also saw on her trips to Sansepolcro how wonderful the facility is and that it is truly a home for Meredith
“The people of Sansepolcro have taken these students under their wing and interact with them daily
“The size of the town allows for this interaction and it is a special place allowing the students to look back on the whole experience fondly.”
The donor enjoys receiving the thank you letters from students who have received the family scholarship and was able to have lunch recently with four of the students to share in their experiences
I proved to myself that I have what it takes to travel independently
the experience gave me the opportunity to become a part of the Sansepolcro community
Meredith can continue to provide this gateway for women to develop the skills to become global citizens.”
says the gifts to the program are vital because study abroad fees only cover so much of what makes the Meredith study abroad experience as magical as it is
“The benefits of this program are not all easily broken down into skills I can put on a resume
The simultaneous feelings of new-found independence and belonging in a new community all while receiving a Meredith education are irreplaceable
Gifts like these ensure that generations of students to come will be able to hone these skills and live these life-changing experiences,” said Cox
The Meredith community is excited about this gift
but no one more than Catherine Rodgers,’76
“The gift from this generous donor will ensure that Meredith’s program in Italy will continue to grow and thrive for years to come
We are grateful to them for acknowledging the importance of studying abroad and the unique nature of our program in Sansepolcro in such a special way,” said Rodgers
Learn more about study abroad and the Sansepolcro program at meredith.edu/study-abroad
Meredith College is pleased to announce other recent gifts for study abroad
and Penn Broyhill Study Abroad Endowment Fund
A planned gift of more than $270,000 to support the greatest needs of study abroad
“A scholarship made it possible for me to study abroad
and I love the idea of paying it forward for the benefit of future students
It is important to keep the funds open for what the program needs at the time
whether that’s training and on-site visits for staff
Bernie Cochran Honors Study Abroad Scholarship Endowment
“As founding director of the Honors Program in the 1980s
I have been pleased with the success and expansion of the program
The Study Abroad Program is a valuable contribution to a student’s broadening of her horizons
I am fortunate to be able to combine both of these interests with a gift to help Honors students experience the joy and the educational enrichment of study abroad.”
The Four Graces Endowment for Study Abroad by Susan H
“I made the gift to honor the memory of my mother and in appreciation for her love and devotion to my two sisters and me
She was one of the strongest women I have ever known
My hope is that students will find the same joy in travel that I have and their lives will be enriched.”
and Jim Robinson Scholarship Endowment for Study Abroad
“We believe that seeing beyond our ‘nest’ has helped us to realize how very fortunate we are
We have seen and experienced things that shape and confirm our beliefs and values
We have also seen and experienced things that challenge us once we return home
Through sharing a little from our resources we are hopeful that other kindred spirits will get a chance to experience these things.”
and Michael David Watson Study Abroad Scholarship
I have started traveling with Meredith and have thoroughly enjoyed this experience
We wanted to give an endowment to Meredith to help students who might like to study abroad.”
SANSEPOLCRO (4-3-1-2): Vaccarecci; Innocentini, Petricci, Adreani, Del Siena (9' st Brizzi); Bruschi, Gorini, Corsini (9' st Merciari); Pasquali; Bartoccini, Valori (38' st Mariotti). Coach Antonio Armillei.
PIETRALUNGHESE (3-4-3): Abibi; Magalotti, Capezzuto, Met Hasani; Ventanni (37' st Simoncini), Rossi (21' st Aquilini), Mangiaratti. Coach Marco Provincia (Luca Pierotti suspended).
Goals: 39' pt and 4' st Mangiaratti (P), 12' st and 20' st Valori (S).
Note: Brizzi (S) sent off in the 49th minute of the second half for foul play
SANSEPOLCRO - Another thrilling Sunday for Sansepolcro, who managed to recover from a double disadvantage at home against an excellent Pietralunghese, but not to close the promotion debate. The 0-0 away draw for Angelana (joined in second place by Narnese and with Cannara out of the game) is ultimately the real favorable result for the Bianconeri, who to return to Serie D must not lose next Sunday in Umbertide against Agape.
Please join us on this 10-day tour featuring three national parks and other historic sites
Highlights of this Angel Adventures tour will include exploring the spectacular scenery of Yellowstone
experiencing a buffalo safari in Custer State Park
imagining life in the Old West in Deadwood
and having a glimpse into the prehistoric at the Mammoth Site
Evenings will be spent in classic National Park lodges and we’ll end our tour at the Rustic Inn in Jackson Hole
voted one of Travel+Leisure World’s Best in 2023 and 2024
Questions? Contact Taylor Twine, ’13, associate director of alumnae relations, at twtwine@meredith.edu or (919) 760-8712
To learn more, view the tour information sheet and read through the complete itinerary
To make a deposit, CLICK HERE
The first-ever Special Olympics European Unified Basketball Tournament runs from October 13-16 in the town of Sansepolcro in Tuscany
The teams involved in the competition are as follows: Belgium
Players at the tournament will compete on ‘Unified’ teams
which means teams will feature an equal mix of players with and without intellectual disabilities
The basketball tournament is one of the biggest Special Olympics events taking place in Europe in 2022 and aims to get Special Olympics athletes back on the court after the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
will compete at the three-day tournament with 24 teams in action
The tournament, organized by Special Olympics Italy
in partnership with a local organising committee in Sansepolcro
and is a major milestone on the Special Olympics’ European sports calendar for 2022
Efforts to re-build from the COVID-19 pandemic are a main focus as the inclusive sports movement
which is active in approximately 200 countries globally
looks to re-engage athletes who lost access to their local Special Olympics organisation
the numbers of people with intellectual disabilities able to access Special Olympics sports training and competition locally fell by a staggering 45%
When it comes to the sport of basketball in the Special Olympics Europe Eurasia region the numbers speak for themselves
People with intellectual disabilities are more vulnerable to Covid-19 – a 2021 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Catalyst found that people with intellectual disabilities are almost six times more likely to die from COVID than the general population
This means that many who enjoyed the health and social benefits of playing sport with Special Olympics no longer are able to participate
“Thanks to the great initiative of everyone involved in organising this Unified tournament and the support of the European Union this project is re-engaging youth players with and without disabilities active in 16 EU countries
24 teams from across Europe will compete at this basketball tournament and it will be a great achievement for everyone involved to see so many of our players back on the court doing what they do best,” commented Special Olympics Europe Eurasia (SOEE) Sports Director Miroslaw Krogulec
Visitors walking through the halls of the Civic Museum of Sansepolcro, after admiring the masterpieces by Piero della Francesca preserved here (the Polyptych of Mercy
the San Ludovico di Tolosa and the splendid Resurrection
the mural painting executed precisely for the Palazzo del Governo of the city
will come across a somewhat alienating presence: a polyptych by Matteo di Giovanni (Borgo Sansepolcro
It is the Polyptych of San Giovanni in val d’Afra
one of the most important works to be found in this corner of Tuscany
the Valtiberina: it bears this appellation because in ancient times it was kept in the church of San Giovanni Battista in val d’Afra (now deconsecrated and home to the Museum of Stained Glass)
which despite its name is located in the very center of Sansepolcro
in the part closest to the Afra stream that flows at the edge of the town
The history of the polyptych is particularly complex
since in addition to Matteo di Giovanni two other artists participated in its realization
namely Piero della Francesca himself (Borgo Sansepolcro
1412 - 1492) and Antonio d’Anghiari (documented in the 15th century)
and because some aspects about its events remain to be clarified
1433: the contract for the carpentry to Benedetto d’Antonio di Matteo Cere
based on a design by Antonio d’Anghiari
at the time when the rector of the church was Nicoluccio di Nicolosio Graziani
normally “already constituted a sort of pre-emption for the more demanding entrustment of the pictorial part.” Antonio d’Anghiari was Piero della Francesca’s master
who was his apprentice at the time of the contract for the polyptych’s assignment
We do not know how things turned out after that: it is possible that the master
since we know from a document dated 1437 that Piero della Francesca was already in a relationship with the patron
and Piero had a totally free field in his hometown: “in this context
in the early 1440s,” De Marchi again writes
“it is well explained that Piero took over the engagement for Don Nicoluccio” and began to paint the central panel of the polyptych: the Baptism of Christ
which is now in the National Gallery in London
one of the masterpieces of the Renaissance
reproduced in all art history books and now the pride of the London museum
despite the fact that today it is read by most as an independent work
“presents all the crystalline novelty of his poetic world
his search for a harmony of colors that almost erases shadows and makes bodies appear as immaterial projections.” What Piero della Francesca inaugurates with his Baptism of Christ is an unprecedented language
regulated on the basis of precise perspective and mathematical laws
in accordance with the principles that the artist himself
would enunciate in his treatise De quinque corporibus regularibus
Christ is the perfect center of the composition
inscribed within regular geometric figures
rendered in limpid colors and immersed in a landscape over which a sharp
diffuse light shines: Designed to emanate an atmosphere of calm
The Baptism of Christ has been read by Timothy Verdon as a work in which the artist “also makes explicit Christ’s place in the Trinity and thus the link between the triune God and man,” a concept that is made manifest by the relationships that bind the various figures together
Flanking Christ is the snow-white shaft of a poplar tree
covers the piece of sky above the three angelic presences
which draw the viewer’s attention to the center of the scene
whose hand is in axis with Christ’s head and the dove: water falls on Jesus’ hair
a sort of homage to Masaccio’s Baptism in the Brancacci Chapel
is undressing to receive Baptism in his turn
while even farther away appear the figures of some Pharisees
one of whom wears a headdress of oriental fashion
similar to those worn by the Byzantine dignitaries who participated in the council of Ferrara and Florence (to the Tuscan city the council was transferred in 1439) and who so inspired Piero della Francesca
The landscape is in all likelihood that of Sansepolcro
so much so that we see the town itself depicted in the distance
and of the Tiber valley: in a manner typical of Renaissance painting
the sacred scene is actualized (signifying that Christ’s teaching has a scope that transcends the ages)
with Sansepolcro finding itself to be a new Jerusalem and the blond river becoming the Jordan
noble and grand” landscape that fascinated Maurizio Calvesi
“the village with the indication of hedges
and roads,” which “as in Paolo Uccello
takes on breadth and distance because of the large
thick-stemmed leafy trees that shade the foreground.”
What Piero della Francesca concluded probably as early as the 1540s was thus
the “first manifesto at home” of his language
“bold and paradigmatic,” characterized by the “novelty of that great atmospheric sky
with the clouds and foliage protagonists against the blue air
mirrored in the still stream,” which took on “all the provocative sense of an Albertian window in the vital contrast with the rich carved woodwork that framed the glimpse of the upper-Tiberian country.” The polyptych of San Giovanni in Val d’Adra
and it has been noted how even the architecture of the predella suggests references to the great Florentine sculptor (the scene of Herod’s Banquet
is influenced by the homologous relief made by Donatello for the font in the Baptistery of Siena)
Matteo di Giovanni was thus not a lingering painter
precise circumstance that weighed on the fortunes of the panels of the Polyptych of San Giovanni d’Adra
“The constant comparison with the revolutionary central part of that polyptych
an element that must have weighed in no small measure even in Matteo di Giovanni’s efforts to achieve almost hypertrophic physicality and perfectly measurable spaces,” the scholar Michela Becchis has written
“has often diminished the effective value of the parts pertaining to Matteo di Giovanni that instead show themselves as the moment of greatest interpretative impetus that the then young painter offered of all the complex instances of Renaissance artistic research.” Why then did Matteo di Giovanni decide to resort to a language seemingly at odds with that of Piero della Francesca
It is impossible to think that the youngest artist from Borgo worked without taking into account what Piero della Francesca had produced a few years earlier
Matteo di Giovanni somehow sensed the distance separating his language from Piero’s
and as a result he decided to give Piero’s panel as much prominence as possible
inserting it into a structure where the arrangement of spaces is intrinsically coherent: the side saints are inserted within two niches that dialogue with the oculi in which the Announcing Angel and the Virgin Announced take their places
which rests on the step by leaning outward
the two figures intend to make evident the spatial depth of the composition
it is as if Matteo di Giovanni had wanted to insert Piero’s Baptism within a solid architecture
must surely have appeared less jarring than it does to our contemporary eyes
in the panels illustrating the polyptych of San Giovanni in Val d’Afra
establishes a parallel with the Loggia della Mercanzia in Siena
an artist at whom Matteo di Giovanni completed his training
are inserted in niches of Gothic taste: the sculptures
imposing and barely contained in the spaces of the niches themselves
produce an effect not unlike that of the saints painted by Matteo di Giovanni for the Biturgense polyptych
that for the mentality of the artist (and of his time) must have had a very solid consistency
What fate then marked the events of the work
which today we see separated from the central panel with Piero della Francesca’s Baptism
In 1629 the polyptych was still in the church of St
except that in 1807 it was transported to the Cathedral of Sansepolcro
the Cathedral Chapter decided to break up the polyptych
for the sum of four hundred pounds (the intermediary was in fact a young English painter and collector
and after the latter’s death in 1861
the work was bought by the painter and writer Charles Eastlake
who had already tried to buy it three years earlier
Eastlake sold the work to the National Gallery in London
and the painting has been on display at the London museum ever since
The move by the Cathedral Chapter was deemed reckless and ill-advised and was strongly criticized as early as the nineteenth century: “It is not many years,” wrote Giovanni Felice Pichi in his 1892 work La vita e le opere di Piero della Francesca
“that the Cathedral Chapter in order to make money under the specious pretext of restoring its Church
asked and obtained permission to sell part of this Painting
the central part the most esteemed and beautiful [...]
either I would have gladly done without these restorations
which in truth did not succeed in the most beautiful thing
or I would have tried to make up for them by other means
rather than deprive my country of a work by one of my great fellow citizens
nor those who recommended and solicited with the government
which in truth showed itself somewhat reluctant to grant the concession.”
Matteo di Giovanni’s panels have recently been dismantled on a couple of occasions: in 2009
when a campaign of studies regarding the woodwork was undertaken on the altarpiece
when seismic upgrading work was undertaken on the Museo Civico del Sansepolcro
and it was decided to schedule a restoration on the work
completed in 2019 and carried out by restorer Rossella Cavigli of the Polo Museale della Toscana
in collaboration with the lOpificio delle Pietre Dure for the technical part
under the direction of art historian Paola Refice of the Soprintendenza di Arezzo
Everything took place at the Restoration Laboratory of the Superintendence of Arezzo
The story of this marvelous work of art is not over: it will be difficult to reunite it with the Baptism of Christ
but new studies may provide experts and the public with some more insight into the ancient events that affected this unique masterpiece of the Tuscan Renaissance
SANSEPOLCRO: Vaccarecci, Carbonaro, Del Siena, Gorini, Andreani, Petricci, Bruschi, Brizzi, Bartoccini, Quadroni (35' st Lorenzoni), Mariotti (23' st Barculli). Coach Armillei
URBANIA: Stafoggia, Sema (41' st Bicchiarelli), Antoniucci, Cannons, Temellini, Paoli, Lani (10' st Catani), Carnesecchi, Rivi (23' st Monachesi), Sarli (26' st Diene), Nunez. Coach Lilli
Referee: Carluccio dell'Aquila Goals: Brizzi 2' st (Sansepolcro)
Note: Sarli, Gorini, Paoli booked. Carbonaro sent off in the 34th minute of the second half for foul play.
Sbandieratori Di Sansepolcro - Epcot's latest entertainment act has opened at the Italy Pavilion
and features traditional flag waving accompanied by live music
the flag throwing ceremony is rich in Italy tradition
We've got a video of today's opening show below, along with a photo gallery of the performance
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: Stafoggia, Sema, Scarcella, Dal Compare, Cannons, Paoli, Bicchiarelli (21' st Franca), Carnesecchi, Rivi (38' st Antoniucci), Sarli (29' st Monachesi), Nunez (25' st Diene). Coach Lilli
GO SANSEPOLCRO: Vaccarecci, Lorenzoni, Del Siena, Gorini, Andreani, Petricci, Bruschi, Petricci, Brizzi, Bartoccini (36' st Valori), Pasquali (25' st Quadroni), Mariotti (39' st Barculli). Coach Armillei.
Notes: Ammonites Cannoni, Bruschi, Brizzi, Bartoccini, Quadroni
The undertaking was arduous and despite the fact that in the two matches we saw a good Urbania, at times even more proactive than the Arezzo team, in the end it was Sansepolcro who passed the round. Mister Armillei's team capitalized on their opportunities and won both matches, deserving passage to the quarterfinals.
In their harmonising robes of blue and cream
alongside a pair of earnest-looking vocalists
the celestial quintet have graced a million Christmas cards
Renaissance oil painting that is now singing a new song thanks to a three-year restoration
Her wit and style, brought to life by these directors, make for a most enjoyable evening in
Ryan Coogler’s hit film is a riff on the uses and abuses of genre
Two books trace the extraordinary rise and rapid fall of Yevgeny Prigozhin
Robert Macfarlane and James Scott seek to understand the ways of water
The greatest civilisations of the past 3,000 years were the opposite of MAGA
Convent of the Cappuccini Fathers in Sansepolcro had recently re-opened after years of neglect
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A splendid altarpiece by Durante Alberti (Sansepolcro
made in 1582 for the chapel of the Aretini (or Artini) family
will be returned to the Cathedral of Sansepolcro (Arezzo): it is the Trinity and Saints Andrew
Mary Magdalene and Christina (oil on canvas
which will be donated to the cathedral by Eleonora and Bruno Botticelli and Fabrizio Moretti on the occasion of the 32nd edition of the Florence International Biennial
The church will thus be compensated for a serious loss suffered in the past
The donation will commemorate the memory of the donors’ parents
namely Veria and Franco Botticelli and Alfredo Moretti.The work best represents the pictorial qualities of Durante Alberti
a native of Sansepolcro who belonged to a dynasty of artists
with another fine painting executed by Durante Alberti for Borgo Cathedral and still in the church
the altarpiece depicting theAdoration of the Shepherds made for the Pichi Chapel
in addition to linking the memory of our parents to the restitution of an important work for the cathedral of Sansepolcro,” say Fabrizio Moretti and Bruno Botticelli
“is meant to be a significant gesture of our families’ affection for the cultural heritage of our country
of détente and positivity for those difficult moments and misunderstandings between the public and the private sector
It is also a gesture that seals our friendship that began in the mid-1990s between the walls of the booths of the Assisi Antiques Exhibition and has come down to the present day
We have chosen this particular moment in which we hold two important positions in our field
respectively as Secretary General of BIAF and as President of Antiquari d’Italia.”
where he joined the ranks of the Counter-Reformation painters commissioned to adorn the altars of the Counter-Reformation churches
executed works with a severe spiritual approach
due in particular to his frequentation of the Capuchin order
in which the figures in the foreground stand out against the background of classical architecture
there are also influences from Venetian painters
which was leaning against the left wall of Sansepolcro Cathedral
recorded in the pastoral visit made to the church by Bishop Niccolò Tornabuoni in 1582
was given by Sansepolcro Cathedral in 1859
during a rearrangement of the church that involved the removal of as many as thirteen altars
It then became part of the collection of the Lilloni Alberti family
descendants of the middle-class artist dynasty
at the time the canvas was divided into two fragments
one with the Trinity and the other with Saints Andrew
The two fragments were purchased at an auction in 2002 and properly restored and reunited with each other by the current owners
Pictured: the Durante Alberti altarpiece and the Sansepolcro Cathedral
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(REVIEW) LONDON — More books have been written about St
Francis of Assisi than virtually any other historical figure after Jesus Christ
In the Italian town of his birth, he is even the subject of an entire bookstore. As this enthralling exhibition at The National Gallery demonstrates
the revered saint also captured the imaginations of artists who have for generations told his remarkable story without the need for words
Born the son of a cloth merchant in Assisi circa 1181
this once “vain and arrogant” boy — according to his first biographer — famously renounced his family’s wealth to live an itinerant life of poverty in service to God
He preached the gospel to all who would listen (animals included)
performed miracles and founded the Franciscan order
his image was already being spread across Italy
Giotto’s cycle of 28 frescoes in the Upper Church of the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi inspired numerous artists
including the 15th century Sienese painter Sassetta
His exquisitely painted Borgo Sansepolcro Altarpiece
is a vivid visual biography of Francis in which we see the saint rejecting his inheritance
offering to walk through fire before the Sultan of Egypt and
receiving the “stigmata” — the wounds of Christ that were said to have appeared miraculously on his body in 1224
Among the sources for these dramatic episodes are biographies by Thomas of Celano and St
Francis,” an anonymous compilation of writings that became a Christian classic
The veracity of these medieval legends is not questioned at The National Gallery — not that we should expect museums to argue for or against miracles
but it is interesting how these accounts are taken at face value in this nonreligious setting
After the Council of Trent (1545-63) clarified the doctrine of the Catholic Church in response to the Protestant Reformation
images of Francis flourished with renewed vigor
Among a dynamic selection of counter-reformation canvases is El Greco’s 1590 depiction of Francis receiving the stigmata from mystical
Even more magnificent is Caravaggio’s tender 1595 portrayal of the saint collapsed in ecstasy and being comforted by an angel
But the grandest composition here is Murillo’s masterpiece
Francis Embracing the Crucified Christ (1668-9)
a symbolic representation of the saint’s intense love for the savior
(Photo courtesy Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Contemporary artists have also found much to admire in Francis
Antony Gormley’s “Untitled (for Francis)” (1985) takes the form of a full-body cast of the artist
Standing with outstretched hands in a pose inspired by Giovanni Bellini’s late 15th century painting “St
Francis in the Desert,” the lead and fiberglass figure has gaping holes in its hands
forgets that the modest saint hid his stigmata from all but two of his most trusted brothers
On an adjacent wall is “A Walk for Saint Francis” (2022) by Richard Long
an artist known for text-based works inspired by his epic walks
he spent eight days following in the saint’s footsteps
wandering alone on Mount Subasio above Assisi
A circle of 56 evocative phrases describe what he experienced along the way: lark song
(Photo courtesy The Trustees of the British Museum)
In the accompanying circular wall painting “River Avon Mud Crescent” (2023)
Long uses the humblest of materials — mud — spattered and smeared to evoke the form of the moon
It recalls Francis’ mystical hymn “Canticle of the Sun,” in which he praises God for the beauty of “Sister Moon” as well as “Brother Sun” and the variety of life on Earth
was chosen as the title for the second encyclical of Pope Francis
urging the world to better care for the environment
Long’s mud paintings would no doubt have appealed to St
Francis; so too the 1960s Italian art movement Arte Povera (literally “poor art”)
whose artists channeled the Franciscan spirit by making their works with soil
is known for delicately carved sculptures excavating the interior of trees
he carves a rectangular aperture into a huge
revealing inside a slender sculpted sapling
Penone’s tree stands at the center of a room dedicated to Francis’ engagement with the natural world — God’s creation — which for him was the greatest work of art
we see him preaching to the birds in a contemporary woodcut by Andrea Büttner and greeting the sunrise in a panoramic Umbrian landscape by 19th century artist Giovani Costa
The beauty he saw in nature spoke of the divine mandate to care for all of creation
that he is the patron saint of animals and ecology
Francis remains an inspirational figure for the modern world
animal lovers and advocates of human solidarity all claiming him as their own
Even the current pope chose to identify himself with this saint for all seasons
The broad appeal of Francis is exemplified by José Clemente Orozco
a prominent artist of post-revolutionary Mexico
His tender black-and-white print from 1926 depicting Francis holding an emaciated man recalls an episode from the saint’s life in which he embraced a victim of leprosy
Despite Orozco’s disdain for Mexico’s colonial history
he does not associate Francis with an oppressive religious presence but presents him as a deeply loving and compassionate figure
This view of Francis was translated to the silver screen in the 20th century
we are treated to excerpts from feature films including Liliana Cavani’s “Francesco” (1989)
with its memorable scene in which a disrobed Francis renounces his father’s wealth and vows a life of poverty
all in front of a shocked Bishop of Assisi
Francis even stars in his own Marvel comic
but he has no need of an updated costume — his brown habit
which appears again and again throughout the exhibition
Francisco de Zurbarán pictures the tattered
patched-up garment in the extraordinary life-size portrait “St
the saint is shown kneeling in a dark cell
his face just visible from beneath his capuchin hood
the habit embodies the Franciscan ideals of poverty and humility
in spirit he seems transported to another realm
A disheveled piece of sackcloth towards the end of the exhibition purports to be the genuine article
on loan from the Franciscans in Santa Croce
the crumpled habit is displayed — incongruously — in an ornate golden frame
It is cleverly juxtaposed with Alberto Burri’s “Sacco” (Sack) (1953)
a mixed-media painting made from layers of weathered sackcloth and punctuated by a patch of blood-red paint — an evocation of Francis’s stigmata
Museo del Tesoro della Basilica di San Francesco
Another extraordinary relic hangs nearby: a wonderfully preserved ivory horn that
was given to Francis in 1219 by the Muslim sultan of Egypt
Presented here as a symbol of cordial interfaith relations
the horn was used to gather people together to hear the saint preach
These physical objects connect us to the time of St
would he have thought about the wealth of material riches that his life inspired
That is the great paradox at the heart of this exhibition — that some of the world’s most valuable works of art have as their subject a man who espoused poverty and humility
are so often excluded from blockbuster exhibitions such as this
which are relied upon by museums to swell their coffers
thanks to the generous support of donors — including Howard and Roberta Ahmanson — “St
The Franciscan spirit remains alive and well
“St. Francis of Assisi” is on view at The National Gallery, London, until July 30. Visit The National Gallery website for more information
David Trigg is a writer and art historian based in the U.K. He is the author of “Reading Art: Art for Book Lovers” and hosts the “Exhibiting Faith” podcast
You can find him on Instagram @davidtriggwriter
Religion Unplugged is part of The Media Project and a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News.EIN: 83-0461425Site design by Peter Freeby Privacy Policy
writing in his Lives of the Artists of 1550
lamented how Piero della Francesca (around 1415/20-92) had the “truly unhappy” fate of being “robbed of the honour that is due to his labours”
Many of the early Renaissance painter’s “beautiful pictures” were destroyed in the wars of Urbino
the renovation of Ferrara’s ducal palace and the redecoration (by Raphael) of the papal apartments in Rome
his esteemed reputation lapsed for several centuries
Rediscovered in the mid-1800s by British tastemakers and then a succession of Modern artists (Degas and Balthus both made pilgrimages to the frescoes in the Basilica di San Francesco in Arezzo)
Piero seems now to have fulfilled Vasari’s belief that “time
sooner or later makes manifest the real state of things”
The few surviving portable works he made have become fixtures at the European and US museums that own them
the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg is about to stage the biggest exhibition of Piero della Francesca’s work ever undertaken
A pair of focused displays at New York’s Frick Collection in 2013 and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2014 comprised seven and four works respectively
The 2007 exhibition on Piero and the Italian courts in Arezzo mustered six paintings by the master
although the museum had the advantage of proximity to the immovable frescoes in the town’s own basilica
Piero della Francesca's Annunciation panel from the Sant’Antonio polyptych (1467-69) © Courtesy of Umbria National Gallery
there are about 20 works that could theoretically be moved,” Artemieva says
Such scarcity meant that “all the negotiations were extremely complicated” for loans to the Hermitage
which has no Piero works in its collection
The Uffizi in Florence turned down a request for its famous diptych of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino for conservation reasons
After heated political discussion in Sansepolcro over the Madonna della Misericordia polyptych
two fresco fragments will travel from the Museo Civico in Sansepolcro
San Giuliano (around 1455) and San Ludovico (1460)
The loan of the Annunciation panel of the Sant’Antonio polyptych (1467-69) from the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria in Perugia was confirmed as recently as early November
The Annunciation will be the exhibition’s centrepiece
“because it is a nucleus of all [Piero’s] innovations—the architecture in his compositions and his achievements in perspective”
Arranged chronologically in one of the state rooms of the Winter Palace
the show takes its starting point from a Madonna and Child (around 1435) that was believed lost before it resurfaced in a Chilean private collection in 2007
There will be portraits in profile of Sigismondo Malatesta (around 1450) from the Louvre and a boy
possibly Guidobaldo Montefeltro (around 1483)
from the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid
The attribution of the latter work to Piero has been debated in the past; however
Artemieva says the show includes only “his absolutely authentic works
without any suspicion of the participation of his workshop”
San Nicola da Tolentino by Piero della Francesca © Courtesy of Buzin Media Agenc
Three panels from the Sant’Agostino altarpiece (around 1465)
Testament to the Hermitage’s ongoing collaboration with Italian institutions
it has also secured San Girolamo e un devoto (around 1460-64) from the Accademia in Venice
and Urbino’s Madonna di Senigallia (1470-80)
In the absence of Piero’s celebrated but immobile frescoes
the museum will screen a new film about them by Italy’s state broadcaster
The exhibition will also be a rare outing for four manuscripts written by Piero
which visitors will be able to “follow page by page” on digital screens
While Piero has mythical status in Anglo-American and Italian scholarship
the Hermitage hopes the show will raise his profile in Russia
“People know the work of the Italian Renaissance
but Piero della Francesca is still quite an obscure figure for our public,” Artemieva says
“We are trying to give people a multifaceted idea of him as an artist.”
The show is sponsored by the Russian state oil company Rosneft and the Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo
• Piero della Francesca, State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, 6 December-11 March 2019
preview22 February 2019Antonello again? Sicilian master's golden moment continues in Milan More than two-thirds of Antonello da Messina’s 35 accepted autograph works are reunited for a show at Palazzo Reale
He is the great ex of the moment, even if he will not be the only one: we are talking about Adnane Essoussi, but the Sansepolcro team playing tomorrow at the "Casini" brings with them two other players who wore the black and white of Trestina, namely Daniele Ferrini Marini (also attacker) and Matteo Della Spoletina, member of the defensive trio. And then there is Marco Bonura, coach when Essoussi was there.
Your independent source for Harvard news since 1898
Sassetta: The Borgo San Sepolcro Altarpiece, a new book edited by art historian and Villa I Tatti fellow Machtelt Israëls, details the reconstruction of a "lost" Italian Renaissance altarpiece. Below, view images from the recent virtual restoration. To read more, see the main article, "Masterpiece Pieces."
Artlyst
‘Greatest Painting In The World’ Piero Della Francesca Masterpiece Saved
A philanthropist has stepped in to fund the restoration of a 15th-century fresco by Italian Renaissance master Piero della Francesca
who is a former executive of Italian food company Buitoni near Sansepolcro
has stepped in with half of the €200,000 or £160,000; that was needed to save the painting
told the Independent: “What can I say
thanks from the bottom of my heart to Mr Osti for sponsoring the restoration as a private citizen of the most important work in our town.”
But experts have warned that ‘The Resurrection’ (1463–65); which is located in the Museo Civico of Sansepolcro
in the painter’s native town in Tuscany
The famous author Aldous Huxley had dubbed the painting “the greatest picture in the world” is now set for a lengthy restoration process which has thus been set in motion; with the full restoration process expected to take between one and three years
More details will be revealed in the weeks to follow
Piero della Francesca’s The Resurrection
which is on display in Sansepolcro in north-east Tuscany
is widely considered as one of the masterpieces of late 15th-century Italian art
A street in a small town in Italy actually bears the name of a British officer who risked court martial to save a Renaissance masterpiece from shelling during the Second World War
Officer Tony Clarke had saved the painting; after orders to shell Sansepolcro
he had remembered an essay by Aldous Huxley which described the paintings importance
The famous author had dubbed the painting “the greatest picture in the world”
The masterpiece is now set for a lengthy restoration process which has thus been set in motion; with the full restoration process expected to take between one and three years
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With more countries introducing lockdown measures to control the spread of coronavirus, we asked three people living in Italy to share their experiences
It’s been officially six days since the last time I left my house
I went to the gym and to our usual family dinner on Friday
completely unaware that it was going to be the last ‘normal’ day for a while
that status was extended to the rest of Italy
and yesterday evening our Prime Minister announced an even harder crackdown – only grocery shops and pharmacies can remain open
It feels very much like the opening of a disaster movie
that mix of ‘it can’t be like this’ and ‘this is the only way it could be’ – I can’t really describe in any other way
The situation is pretty much what you read in newspapers – going out is essentially banned
unless it’s for necessities like grocery shopping
Knowing that even if I wanted to I couldn’t go out drives me up the walls sometimes
even though I’m very much a homebody usually
remains the situation of my grandparents – they live in a different city and we can’t visit them
I try not to linger on the thought that they’re high-risk people
I have to take long breaks in between the times I think about the social
economic and political future of our country
Read more: Ask Tom: Lonely Planet expert answers your pressing travel questions in light of the coronavirus pandemic
and by now I have set up a sort of routine
I also take a walk around the garden after lunch
just to soak in some sun and breathe some fresh air
I do my gym classes at home using packs of pasta instead of weights
My friends and I talk on FaceTime a lot instead of meeting at a cafe – we’re actually planning a group yoga session via FaceTime for the weekend
which has the potential to be either glorious or a complete disaster
It’s as if the fence surrounding our house has become the limit of our world – when we venture out we step into a no man’s land that feels dangerous
something out of one of those weird dreams where everything is familiar and alien at the same time
Reaction to the arrival of coronavirus has hit Rome fast and furiously in a few short days
Despite the virus having breached our borders with cases reported in the North towards the end of February
it seemed to remain a fairly abstract problem
Friends shrugged off talk of closing down bars; the hashtag #RomaNonSiFerma
or #RomeWontStop took off in the hospitality sector; and up until this weekend restaurants were open for business as usual
I’m ashamed to admit that this past Saturday I went for brunch with friends
restrictions have increased at a whiplash rate
All businesses except for pharmacies and supermarkets are closed and one member per family is allowed to go out to do the shopping; you must also carry an auto-certificazione
a certificate that states your reason for being outdoors to present to police if they stop you
While I believe health is paramount and support the measures being taken to curb the virus
I can’t help but dwell on how this will cripple my adopted country’s already shaky economy; the disappearance of tourism
Read more: How airlines are trying to ensure coronavirus does not spread on board planes
I do my work from home and have food and WiFi and Netflix and an endless supply of books
My advice for others would be to just stay put
but I don’t think it’s fair to put the most vulnerable at risk in the name of a low-cost flight to Barcelona
I live in the small hamlet of Aboca above the town of Sansepolcro in eastern Tuscany for most of the year
There had been some panic buying earlier in the week but the supermarkets took that in their stride and merely refilled the shelves
people stripped the shelves of any fresh food they could find
All shops have notices requiring customers to maintain la distanza di sicureza
The children were treating the time off as extra holiday
Certainly around here there is no ‘lockdown’ as such
except for the instructions not to travel between towns or provinces
I have to download a form from the internet and fill it in giving details about reasons for travel
Yesterday I drove the 7km to town and the road was quiet
There was no police presence en route and none in town
All the bars closed at six; certinaly not the norm but no one seemed upset about it
The most obvious change is the presence of security guards at the supermarket entrance to maintain safe numbers inside the store
Read more: Should I cancel my travel plans in light of the coronavirus outbreak?
The people I know are self-isolating in the sense that they are not going to work but doing what they can from home
There is no sense of panic but people do comment on the oddness of the situation and the fact that one person in Sansepolcro
I feel sympathy for the workers in food shops and pharmacies – the only shops allowed open – who must in some way feel put at risk while the rest of us can avoid them if we have sufficient supplies
I have not been in such a situation before
I know there is some (minimal) risk but I feel no fear as such
Even after the panic buying everything seems normal
I am also very lucky; although I live in the Commune of Sansepolcro
I do not live in town; my nearest neighbour is over a mile away
that it has more laws than any other European country but that its citizens obey very few of them
People here in Sansepolcro seem to be listening to the government and getting on with their lives as best they can without any argument
Read more: Covid-19 outbreak: what travellers need to know about the coronavirus pandemic
The Civic Museum of Sansepolcro also celebrates Leonardo da Vinci (Vinci
1519) on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of his death with an exhibition that will run for nearly a year
The Technological Challenges of the Universal Genius
sponsored by the City of Sansepolcro and mounted by Opera Laboratori Fiorentini-Civita
the exhibition invites its visitors to explore some of Leonardo’s ambitious projects
which well illustrate his aptitude for grappling with themes of unprecedented complexity
the conferring of movement to inanimate objects
the design of the largest equestrian statue ever made: dreams that have been part of human history since ancient times and take shape in his drawings and the machines he devised
The exhibition aims to be a contribution to the knowledge of the genius and tenacity with which Leonardo tackled the boldest technological and artistic challenges.Dreamed of by man from the earliest times
flight takes shape in his studies and in the machines he designed
Leonardo also measured himself against the idea of imparting movement to inanimate objects: the self-propelled chariot and the mechanical lion are eloquent testimonies to the results he achieved
the design for the gigantic bronze equestrian statue in memory of Francesco Sforza is further evidence of the exceptional intelligence with which he tackled daring challenges
In-depth videos and 3D animations created by the Museo Galileo in Florence accompany the exhibition
allowing both an in-depth look at the themes addressed and an understanding of the principles governing the operation of the machines on display
Leonardo da Vinci: Visions is the result of an extensive project path conceived by the Museo Galileo of Florence and curated by its director Paolo Galluzzi and represents the synthesis of three exhibitions held in the past
namely The Engineers of the Renaissance (1995),Leonardo ’s Automobile (2004) and The Mind of Leonardo (2006)
which were mounted in prestigious venues in Italy and around the world
“This exhibition,” says Paolo Galluzzi
“offers visitors a different point of view
inviting them to explore Leonardo’s way of thinking and his unified conception of knowledge as an effort to assimilate
with bold theoretical syntheses and ingenious experiments
the laws that govern all the marvelous operations of man and nature.”
“We are proud,” says the mayor of Sansepolcro
“to host what will be an innovative and unprecedented exhibition of its kind
This event represents one of the appointments in a calendar full of high-level initiatives with the involvement of personalities and associative realities of the highest caliber linked to the figure Leonardo
The city of Sansepolcro will be one of the cultural hubs of reference for this Cinquecentennial
“With this exhibition,” says Culture Councilor Gabriele Marconcini
“our museum is enriched with a section specifically focused on the boundless genius of the genius of Vinci
We are therefore enthusiastic because thanks to this proposal we can highlight the obstinate tendency of the Renaissance man to go beyond the limits of his time: a propensity that also characterized the work of our two most illustrious fellow citizens
to redefining the cultural paradigm within which Leonardo would later express himself brilliantly.” In fact
the title in a certain way also refers to the visionary nature of the artist from Vinci
a genius ahead of his time and who used his knowledge and skills to constantly push the limits imposed by his time
For all information you can call +39 0575 732218, send an email to mostre@civita.it or visit the official website of the San Sepolcro Civic Museum
For pre-sales you should call 199 15 11 21
Study of the right foreleg of a horse from four points of view (Royal Collection
Piero della Francesca – uno dei mie grandi amori che si avvera pic.twitter.com/FMwq7OdSwo
— Cecilia Frosinini (@CeciliaFrosinin) November 16, 2014
head of the restoration of “The Resurrection” wrote “One of my great loves come true,” on Twitter Sunday
A painting by Italian Renaissance artist Piero della Francesca, “The Resurrection”, which escaped destruction during World War Two, is getting its own revival, Reuters reported.
Restoration of “The Resurrection”, known for its clarity, serenity and use of perspective, is now underway, after gradually becoming damaged, discolored and cracked by humidity and grime over the centuries.
Painted in the 1460s, the fresco was first rescued from artillery fire, when a British officer refused to shell the town of Sansepolcro, where the painting is housed.
The restoration of the work, which includes a self-portrait of the painter as a soldier at Christ’s feet, is happening thanks in part to the philanthropy of Italian businessman Aldo Osti, who once worked near Sansepolcro. Osti, who now lives in Switzerland, supplied half of the project’s total 200,000 euro ($250,000) cost, according to Reuters.
Austerity measures put into place following Europe’s economic crisis have had a major impact on arts funding, forcing restorers to get creative on tackling jobs like the restoration of della Francesca’s fresco.
Cecilia Frosinini, head of the restoration team, gushed on Twitter about the two-year project on Sunday. She tweeted in Italian: “One of my great loves come true.”
In an essay titled “The Best Picture”, originally published in 1925, English novelist Aldous Huxley wrote about his journey to Sansepolcro and discovery of “The Resurrection”. According to Reuters, it was this essay, which made British soldier Tony Clarke defy his superiors and refuse to attack Sansepolcro.
“We need no imagination to help us figure forth its beauty,” Huxley wrote. “It stands there before us in entire and actual splendour, the greatest picture in the world.”
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Concerns have been raised that the work is flaking and discoloured
while cracks have become increasingly visible
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A street in a small town in Italy bears the name of a British officer who risked court martial to save a Renaissance masterpiece from shelling in the Second World War.
Yet, Italian art experts have become so worried about the state of the 15th-century fresco dubbed “the greatest picture in the world”, that they have embarked on a major restoration project.
The work was only made possible with a hefty donation from a private citizen.
Piero della Francesca’s The Resurrection, on display in Sansepolcro in north-east Tuscany, is widely hailed as one of the masterpieces of late 15th-century Italian art.
Concerns have been raised that the work is flaking and discoloured, while cracks have become increasingly visible.
More details of the work will be announced later this month. It is expected to take between one and three years.
Yet the parlous state of the Italian economy has left arts budgets slashed and organisations unable to preserve their masterpieces, so the Government has increasingly turned to private sponsorship.
This includes the restoration work on Rome’s Colosseum, sponsored by Diego Della Valle, head of luxury leather goods group Tod’s.
Italian businessman Aldo Osti, a former executive of Italian food company Buitoni near Sansepolcro, has stepped in with half of the €200,000 (£160,000) needed to save the painting but the work is being run by the state.
Daniela Frullani, the mayor of Sansepolcro, said: “What can I say, thanks from the bottom of my heart to Mr Osti for sponsoring the restoration as a private citizen of the most important work in our town.”
Piero was a native of Sansepolcro and has become particularly beloved by the British, who can see examples of his work in the National Gallery.
He is believed to have painted The Resurrection in the 1460s, which shows Jesus rising from the tomb, carrying a banner with guards at his feet asleep.
HV Morton revealed in A Traveller in Italy in 1964 that officer Tony Clarke had saved the painting. After orders to shell Sansepolcro, where the Germans were stationed, he remembered an essay by Aldous Huxley which described the painting as “the greatest picture in the world”.
Mr Clarke refused to give the order to turn the artillery guns on the town, despite instructions from his commanding officer. Shortly afterwards, the Germans fled anyway. Sansepolcro still has a street bearing his name.
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the masterpiece saved in wartime","description":"Concerns have been raised that the work is flaking and discoloured
Arts Essay
Piero della Francesca is today acknowledged as one of the foundational artists of the Renaissance
Aldous Huxley thought his ‘Resurrection’ ‘the best painting in the world’
His compositions marry art and science with cool precision and a sophisticated grasp of perspective — he was
But he was only rediscovered in the mid-19th century after centuries of relative obscurity
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A beautiful 17th-century convent in the Tuscan Hills has been forced to close down after a 40-year-old nun praised for her ‘incredible energy’ fell in love with a local man
The Convent of the Cappuccini Fathers in Sansepolcro has been closed ‘definitively,’ according to the website
READ ALSO: Nudity In Movies Should Be Tastefully Done
The paltry number of remaining members would not be able to keep up with the work started by Sister Maria
who was well-liked in the area for turning the convent into a community hub
The convent – dedicated to Bernardo Tolomei
a 14th-century saint – offers 19 beds in the main building for pilgrims
and a large space dedicated to religious ceremonies such as weddings and baptisms
told La Repubblica: ‘They are in tears and I’m also crying.’
She added that the end of her time at the monastery was not related to the alleged romance
The mother superior said: ‘They wanted to tell that story
‘The story is much more complicated than it seems.’
The monastery was assigned to Benedettine Olivetane in 2015 following years of abandonment
Arezzo’s Bishop Riccardo Fontana said: ‘I have nothing to do with that
There was an intervention of the Holy See and everything ended there’
He added: ‘This is a very painful situation for all involved.’
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