It's back to Siena for this month's post and I've just remembered that its coming up to a year since we took some friends to see Siena Cathedral. I wrote about the fantastic inlaid marble floor in an earlier post but saved one the most glorious aspects of the cathedral's interior for the post I'm writing today. The other thing I've just recalled is the connection between a post from a few weeks ago when I was writing about the artist Pinturicchio in connection with work he'd done on a chapel in Spello and the work the artist did here in Siena Cathedral - the commission which is the focus of this post.
To visit Siena Cathedral is an overwhelming experience for there is so much to see and take in. It's a feast for all the senses and no more so than in relation to the library contained in a room off the left hand side of the nave. The transition from the relatively dark main body of the church to the jewel like interior of this sublime space is a memorable moment in itself (savour it when you visit) for its like walking in to a fantastically coloured jewel box and it is quite simply stunning. So where did this magnificent interior come from - who was responsible for it? and what was its purpose?
Well firstly the name Piccolomini Libarary is a useful starting point. The room was constructed as a dedicated space for an important collection of humanist antique and medieval manuscripts collected by Pope Pius III of the the Piccolimini family who originated from the small town of Pienza in Tuscany not far from Siena. In fact when it was completed the manuscript collections were never housed here and the space has since become famous for the artistic scheme of decoration carried out by Pinturrichio for Pope Pius III. The Pope had wanted a room dedicated to his famous uncle's memory and a fresco cycle which would tell the story of his life.
This Uncle was a man named Enea Silvio Piccolomini who came from a relatively humble background in the Val d'Orcia, entered the church as a priest and rose to become firstly an important diplomat within the Vatican hierarchy and then later a Cardinal and finally becoming Pope Pius II. As a diplomat Enea had played an important role in leading negotiations between the Pope and King Frederick III of Austria, also playing an important part in brokering the marriage between the Emperor and Elonora of Aragon and making arrangements for his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in Rome itself in 1452. Rising rapidly through the ranks of the catholic church on the back of his achievements, he was made a Cardinal in 1456 and elected Pope just a couple of years later in 1458. He died in 1464.
The Cathedral library dedicated to this Pope was painted and decorated by Pinturicchio (Bernadino di Betto) between 1502 and 1508. The main frescos, in ten large compartments, relate stories from the Pope's life, illustrating such subjects as Ennio Silvio paying homage to the new Holy Roman Emperor, presenting Eleonora of Aragon to Frederick, him becoming a cardinal and his election of Pope. From the first scene at the far end on the right wall where Enio is depicted as a young boy, he gradually ages through the stories. Pinturicchio makes splendid use of all the modern Renaissance techniques of perspective and modelling of the human form to present beautifully costumed figures in brilliant colours set against a combination of real and imagined landscape backgrounds. Latin inscriptions provide titles for every scene in panels at the base of each one. To view a panel fresco is to look through a window at a scene taking place in the foreground, the eye then cleverly drawn through to the far distance beyond. Each one is beautifully composed, balanced, harmonious and worthy of detailed attention down to the finest details.
The depiction of the stories themselves though is only part of the overall decorative scheme for the compartments are separated by painted decorative "grotesque" pilasters inspired by the decoration uncovered in the excavations of Nero's Golden House (the Domus Aurea) in Rome. Each is also framed by wonderfully illusionistic arches. The vaulted and compartmented ceiling is amazing, painted in red, blue and gold again with lots of fashionable Roman ornament surrounding the painted scenes in the small panels. Not surprisingly the papal arms feature in the centre of the ceiling. You might want to take a small pair of binoculars with you to look at these. Oh and don't forget to take a look at the sculpture of the Three Graces in the centre of the room - its a Roman copy of a Greek original.
This stunning interior was surely Pinturicchio's finest achievement. The room, relatively recently restored, is another Siena "must see" experience and you can discover details of the opening times and charges for the library on the cathedral's website.
Ciao & KBO
Until next time
Ian
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| FRONT FACADE OF SIENA CATHEDRAL |
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| THE PICCOLOMINI LIBRARY |
This Uncle was a man named Enea Silvio Piccolomini who came from a relatively humble background in the Val d'Orcia, entered the church as a priest and rose to become firstly an important diplomat within the Vatican hierarchy and then later a Cardinal and finally becoming Pope Pius II. As a diplomat Enea had played an important role in leading negotiations between the Pope and King Frederick III of Austria, also playing an important part in brokering the marriage between the Emperor and Elonora of Aragon and making arrangements for his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in Rome itself in 1452. Rising rapidly through the ranks of the catholic church on the back of his achievements, he was made a Cardinal in 1456 and elected Pope just a couple of years later in 1458. He died in 1464.
The Cathedral library dedicated to this Pope was painted and decorated by Pinturicchio (Bernadino di Betto) between 1502 and 1508. The main frescos, in ten large compartments, relate stories from the Pope's life, illustrating such subjects as Ennio Silvio paying homage to the new Holy Roman Emperor, presenting Eleonora of Aragon to Frederick, him becoming a cardinal and his election of Pope. From the first scene at the far end on the right wall where Enio is depicted as a young boy, he gradually ages through the stories. Pinturicchio makes splendid use of all the modern Renaissance techniques of perspective and modelling of the human form to present beautifully costumed figures in brilliant colours set against a combination of real and imagined landscape backgrounds. Latin inscriptions provide titles for every scene in panels at the base of each one. To view a panel fresco is to look through a window at a scene taking place in the foreground, the eye then cleverly drawn through to the far distance beyond. Each one is beautifully composed, balanced, harmonious and worthy of detailed attention down to the finest details.
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| ENNIO PICCOLOMINI AS AMBASSADOR TO THE COURT OF JAMES I OF SCOTLAND |
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| HOMAGE TO POPE EUGENIUS IV IN THE NAME OF EMPEROR FREDERICK III |
Ciao & KBO
Until next time
Ian
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