Two exhibitions which retrace the artistic lives of Medieval protagonists through painting and sculptural works of great merit, and which once again attest to how Tuscany has always been a source of inspiration for the creation of absolute masterpieces. And also, of course, an occasion to welcome back to the area a number of pieces which have long lived abroad.
A few kilometres away, in Pievescola, lies another jewel of inestimable historical value: Relais La Suvera. Away from the hustle and bustle of tourists, Relais La Suvera has always been at the forefront when it comes to promoting cultural events relating to the local area. This year Relais La Suvera has decided to open the season early, on 26 March, offering customers with an interest in the exhibitions a relaxing and pleasant stay.
In Casole d’Elsa all attention is focused on the gothic sculptures by Marco Romano, whose creative genius was in large part rediscovered in the eighties by Giovanni Previtali, one of the most important Art Historians of the twentieth century. The artist has left immortal testimony of his work in Cremona and Venice as well. Eyes will especially be cast on the “Messer Porrina”, the restored monument dedicated to Bernardino Albertini, an illustrious jurist of the time, and on the marble “Testa del Profeta”, recently acquired by the Museum (www.museocasole.it).
These two works, together with other works by Marco Romano, will be on exhibition from 27 March to 3 October 2010. Bernardino del Porrina, who headed the powerful Ghibellini family of Casole d’Elsa with his brother, the bishop of Cremona, played a very important role in Marco Romano’s life, strongly influencing his artistic development and career.
Other works by Marco Romano have been received directly from the State Museums of Berlin, the Museum of Basilica San Marco in Venice and the museums of Colle Val D’Elsa and Siena. The event is organised by the Municipality of Casole D’Elsa, the Fondazione Musei Senesi, the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Foundation and the superintendence for Historical, Artistic and Ethno-anthropological heritage of the provinces of Siena and Grosseto.
Within this context Relais La Suvera is the perfect place to spend a holiday fully dedicated to artistic treasures: this historical villa, transformed into a luxury hotel winner of the Condé Nast Johansen’s Award for excellence as Most Excellent Hotel in 2009, has rooms dedicated to famous people of the past, as well as countless guest services. Above all, the hotel hosts a private museum managed by the Cardinale Giovanni Ricci Cultural Association, which also carries out publishing work under Unesco sponsorship. When the gates to the historical villa are reopened there will be a number of new holiday packages on offer; these are available for booking on www.lasuvera.it.
The Siena exhibition is from 26 March to 10 July 2010, entitled From Jacopo della Quercia to Donatello. Art in Siena in the Early Renaissance are also well under way. The exhibition will be held in the Santa Maria della Scala complex and the Opera Metropolitana Museum, where more than three hundred works will give visitors a chance to rediscover the “Dark Ages” through sculptures, paintings, works of jewellery, furniture, handiworks and manuscripts.
The Casole d’Elsa and Siena exhibitions are timeless testimonies of the presence of unsurpassable artistic mastery in Italy; artists who, inspired by the green Tuscan landscape, found that creative talent which is still so visible in their works centuries later.
