Date
1934-1936
Object Type
Photograph
Subject
Academy of Fine Arts Carrara, view of the Hall of Illustrious Men after the renovation of the building.
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara
About The Work
The photograph shows the Hall of Illustrious Men after the building underwent renovation between 1924 and 1934, led by Adolfo Angeli, who took office on February 2, 1924. In the years following Italy’s unification, Carrara sought to contribute to the creation of a shared national identity. In 1861, on the initiative of Ferdinando Pelliccia, director of the Accademia di Carrara, a public subscription was launched to erect a monument honoring six of the city’s most distinguished citizens, notable in politics, the arts, and sciences. Funds for the materials were collected in 1862, and the monument was inaugurated the following year, with the Academy’s professors participating free of charge in its creation. Designed by Carlo Castelpoggi, the monument takes the form of an ancient donarium: a grand marble framework supporting six busts on a central ledge, bearing a commemorative inscription. Below, six circular medallions, inspired by Roman clipei, symbolically depict the achievements of each figure. Six arches above frame the busts, while the crowning pediment features Carrara’s emblematic wheel between two cornucopias, symbolizing prosperity and abundance. The figures celebrated include Emanuele Repetti, geographer and historian, portrayed by Angelo Triscornia, with his Dizionario geografico fisico storico della Toscana represented in the medallion by Urbano Castelpoggi. Angelo Pelliccia, physician, philosopher, and deputy, sculpted by Ferdinando Pelliccia, is commemorated through his works Corso di Filosofia civile and Scienza dell’ordine sociale, depicted in the medallion by Andrea Andrei. Pellegrino Rossi, jurist, economist, and politician assassinated in Rome in 1848, is immortalized in the bust by Ercole Bogazzi, with his major legal treatises shown in Vincenzo Bonanni’s medallion. Pietro Tenerani, a neoclassical sculptor, is portrayed by Pietro Franchi, with reference to his work Il Salvatore in the medallion. Carlo Finelli, internationally renowned sculptor, has the bust by Andrea Franzoni and the medallion by Giuseppe Antonio Fabbricotti illustrating Amore sdegnato da Psiche. Finally, General Domenico Cucchiari, a key figure in the Risorgimento campaigns, is represented by Giuseppe Lazzerini, with the medallion recording the major battles in which he fought. Located in the so-called Hall of Illustrious Men, the monument did not enjoy an uninterrupted history: political changes and evolving tastes led to relocations and partial dismantling around the mid-20th century. Only at the beginning of the 21st century was it fully restored and reassembled, thanks to the careful work of the Academy’s professors and students, returning the monument to its original historical and artistic significance.
Title
Carrara - R. Accademia di Belle Arti - Sala degli Men Illustri
Subject
Academy of Fine Arts Carrara, view of the Hall of Illustrious Men after the renovation of the building.
Creator
Unidentified photographer
Date
1934-1936
Object Type
Photograph
Technique / Support
Photogravure
Original Function
Documentation
Dimensions
mm 105x150
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara
Unique identifier
ICCD_MIDF_7297186549671