Initiatives organized by the Pontifical Villas and the Vatican Museums for Christmas and the Jubilee, at Castel Gandolfo
Two masterpieces at the service of evangelization by Raphael and Ghirlandaio
The beautiful tapestry, “The Stoning of Saint Stephen”, by Raffaello Sanzio, will be on display in the Sala dei Papi (Hall of Popes) of Castel Gandolfo’s Pontifical Palace, while the painting, “The Adoration of the Child”, by Domenico Bigordi, known as Ghirlandaio, will be on display in the Palace’s lower floor, along with four paintings of the Nativity by Masters of the 15th century.
Promoted by the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas, in cooperation with the Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage, for Christmas 2024, and in view of the approaching Jubilee Year, the cultural event of faith and art is aimed at the “pilgrims of hope”, who will visit the Pontifical Villas, as of today.
The two exhibitions, titled, “The Stoning by Raphael – a Tapestry for the Sistine Chapel”, and “The Nativity – Ghirlandaio and Other Masters of the 15th Century”, are an opportunity to offer the larger public the possibility of seeing the masterpieces of the Vatican Museums. They also express the desire of the President and Secretary General of the Governorate to open up the Pontifical Villas ever more to the faithful and visitors, during the Jubilee. Moreover, they are a tangible sign of the generous contribution of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, thanks to whom, some of these masterpieces were restored.
Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, Sr. Raffaella Petrini and Mr. Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, respectively, President, Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General, of the Governorate, will visit the two exhibitions on Tuesday morning, 10 December, during the inauguration of the nativity scene and the lighting of the Christmas tree in the Pontifical Palace of Castel Gandolfo. On the same day, Andrea Tamburelli, Director of the Pontifical Villas, and Barbara Jatta, Director of the Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage, will present the new refreshment area for visitors. Located on the ground floor of the Palace, it faces the lake, offering visitors a spectacular view.
The exhibition in the Sala dei Papi, “The Stoning of Saint Stephen. a Tapestry for the Sistine Chapel”, was curated by Alessandra Rodolfo, Head of the Department of Tapestries and Textiles of the Vatican Museums. Woven with wool, silk and gold and silver threads, of Flemish manufacture, the tapestry was part of a series of tapestries on the Acts of the Apostles. Commissioned by Leo X, Giovanni di Lorenzo de’ Medici, Raphael made the preparatory cartoons to decorate the Sistine Chapel, during solemn ceremonies.
The other exhibition, “The Nativity. Ghirlandaio and Other Masters of the 15th Century”. was curated by Fabrizio Biferali, Head of the Department of XV-XVI Century Art. With the theme Nativity, it revolves around Ghirlandaio’s masterpiece, “The Adoration of the Child”, a small tempera and gold panel painting, measuring 45 x 42 cm. from around 1492, that was destined for a closet, perhaps to keep relics, in the sacristy of the Duomo of Pisa. Along with the precious painting by Ghirlandaio, the exhibition includes four tempera panel paintings of the Nativity, made in the 15th century.
One of the four was painted by Zanobi Strozzi (1412-1468) from Florence. Two of the paintings are depictions of “The Adoration of the Child”, by Giovanni di Paolo (1400 circa - 1482) and Sano di Pietro (1406-1481). The fourth painting is “The Adoration of the Magi”, by Ludovico Urbani from the Marches Region. It was restored in 2022 in the Vatican Museums’ Painting and Wood Materials Restoration Laboratory, thanks to the generous contribution of the New York Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. The two exhibitions will be inaugurated on Saturday morning, 14 December, at the Pontifical Palace of Castel Gandolfo.
