The Splendor of Santa Maria della Steccata

Previous: An Old Fascination, a New Discovery

Among the churches I visited in Parma was the Basilica di Santa Maria della Steccata, one of the city’s great architectural and artistic treasures. Unfortunately, much of its exterior was obscured by scaffolding and protective wrapping as part of extensive seismic safety improvements.

Completed in the sixteenth century, the Renaissance basilica is particularly remarkable for its richly decorated interior, including magnificent frescoes by Parmigianino. It is also the magistral church of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George, a distinction that adds another layer of historical significance to an already extraordinary place.

Stepping inside, I was reminded once again that some of Italy’s greatest treasures are found not in museums, but in its churches.

Next: The Splendor of Parma Cathedral

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, October 17th, Feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Feast of Blessed Karl of Austria at St. Mary Mother of God Church in Washington, DC

An Old Fascination, a New Discovery

Galatea, 1925, bronze, Amleto Cataldi (1882-1930), during the exhibition GAM 100: Un secolo di Galleria comunale 1925-2025

Previous: Among the Ladies of Palazzo del Governatore

With only a few hours to explore the Eternal City before a dinner date at Locanda Bucarelli on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano, I decided to visit the Galleria d’Arte Moderna to see Amleto Cataldi’s Galatea–Fontana.

I cannot quite explain why, but the sculpture has haunted my memory ever since I first encountered it sixteen years ago. All that time, I had longed to gaze upon her beauty again, and I was determined not to miss the opportunity.

To my great delight, I did not have to search for her. She was the first work of art I encountered upon entering the gallery, and every bit as beautiful as I remembered. I could have left then and considered the visit worthwhile, but I continued exploring and discovered much more.

Highlights included Ettore Tito’s Il Verno, Auguste Rodin’s Busto di Signora, Giuseppe De Nittis’s Paesaggio invernale, and Vincenzo Gemito's terracotta portrait of his wife, Anna. I was equally taken with Ettore Ximenes' Principessa Laetitia, Onorato Carlandi’s Agitazione, and Amedeo Bocchi’s Nel Parco.

Another unexpected encounter proved particularly memorable. Much as Cataldi’s Galatea had captivated me sixteen years earlier, I found myself inexplicably drawn to Giacomo Balla’s Ritratto di Annina Levi della Vida. I cannot say precisely what it was about her that held my attention, but perhaps that is part of the mystery of art. Some works we admire; others stay with us for reasons we cannot entirely explain.

I had come to renew an old fascination and left with a new one.

Next: The Splendor of Santa Maria della Steccata

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, October 16th, Feasts of San Gerardo Maiella and Sant’Irene di Tessalonica

Two full-length views of Amleto Cataldi’s Galatea (1925), revealing the sculpture’s graceful pose, elongated proportions, and smooth, stylized forms

Two views of Amleto Cataldi’s Galatea (1925). The stylized, French-inspired hairstyle, reflecting Secessionist rather than classical influences, reinforces the sculpture’s striking solidity and monumentality

Two views of Vincenzo Gemito’s Ritratto di Anna Gemito (Portrait of Anna Gemito), 1886, terracotta. The delicate modeling of her face contrasts beautifully with the rough, expressive treatment of her hair and clothing

Giuseppe De Nittis, Paesaggio invernale (Winter Landscape), 1867–1874. A bleak, atmospheric winter scene, with solitary figures crossing a rain-soaked landscape beneath a brooding sky

Two views of Auguste Rodin’s Busto di signora (Bust of a Lady), 1907–1912, bronze. The sculpture combines the delicate modeling of the woman’s face with the expressive, textured folds of her clothing

Ettore Tito, Il vento (The Wind), 1895–1909, oil on plywood. A delicate portrait of a young woman, her windswept hair and softly modeled features captured in expressive brushstrokes

(Left) Antonio Muñoz’s 1931 catalogue of the Galleria Mussolini d’Arte Moderna Italiana, formerly located on Rome’s Capitoline Hill. (Right) Maria Immacolata Zaffuto, Cantiere con figure (Building Site with Figures), 1925–1940

(Left) Enrico Lionne, Violette, 1913, oil on canvas. (Right) Giacomo Balla, Ritratto di Annina Levi della Vida (Portrait of Annina Levi della Vida), 1930–1940, oil on canvas. I found myself completely enthralled by this portrait. There is something captivating about her quiet expression, direct gaze, and understated beauty that makes it difficult to look away and even harder to forget

Amedeo Bocchi, Nel parco (In the Park), 1919, oil on canvas. A striking portrait of an elegantly dressed woman seated in a garden, her vivid yellow blouse and dark hat contrasting beautifully with the lush green surroundings

Onorato Carlandi, Agitazione (Turmoil), c. 1916, oil on canvas. A dramatic landscape dominated by turbulent storm clouds, with shafts of light breaking through the darkness above a desolate plain

Tommaso Bertolino, Languore (Languor), 1939, bronze. A sensuous reclining female figure, her elongated body and languid pose conveying an atmosphere of quiet intimacy and repose

(Left) Giovanni Prini, Gli amanti (The Lovers), 1909, marble. Two figures locked in an intimate embrace emerge from a roughly hewn block of stone. (Right) Girolamo Masini, Cleopatra, 1882, marble. The Egyptian queen reclines beside a sphinx, her elaborate headdress and flowing garments rendered in exquisite detail

Three sculptures by Ettore Ximenes (1855–1926). (Left) Principessa Laetitia (Princess Letizia), 1890–1910, patinated plaster and bronze. An elegant bust depicting the princess in a contemplative pose. (Center) Americana con cappello (American Woman with a Hat), 1909–1920. A fashionable woman in an elaborate hat and flowing gown. (Right) Ritratto di signora (Portrait of a Lady), 1900–1906, bronze. A poised female figure standing confidently with one hand on her hip

(Left) Attilio Torresini, Afrodite (Aphrodite), 1930–1934, bronze. A graceful female nude, her raised arms and elegantly modeled figure recalling classical ideals of beauty. (Right) Ada Salvadori, Madonna, c. 1955, terracotta. A solemn, stylized depiction of the Virgin Mary, her bowed head and downcast eyes conveying quiet devotion and contemplation

Two views of Attilio Torresini’s Bagnante (Bather), 1934–1936, bronze. A graceful seated female nude, her folded limbs, gently bowed head, and contemplative expression conveying a sense of quiet intimacy and repose

125th Feast of San Vincenzo Martire at the Shrine Church of the Precious Blood in Little Italy, New York

Among the Ladies of Palazzo del Governatore

Ritratto della marchesa Casati, ca. 1912, oil on canvas, Giovanni Boldini

Previous: The Many Pleasures of Parma

On my last day in Parma, I found myself with some time to spare and decided to visit the newly opened exhibition Lei: Ritratti di donne da Van Gogh a Modigliani e oltre (She: Portraits of Women, from Van Gogh to Modigliani and Beyond) at the Palazzo del Governatore.

Small but impressive, the exhibition offered me the opportunity to see, for the first time in person, works by several of my favorite artists. Highlights included Giuseppe De Nittis’ La piccola inglese, Antonio Mancini’s Carminella, Domenico Morelli’s Ritratto di Teresa Maglione Oneto, and Giovanni Boldini’s magnificent Ritratto della marchesa Casati, depicting the extraordinary Marchesa Luisa Casati adorned with peacock feathers.

As for Van Gogh, Modigliani, Klimt, and the rest, they may have been the exhibition’s principal attractions, but they were certainly not mine.

Next: An Old Fascination, a New Discovery

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, October 15th, Feast of Santa Teresa de Ávila

Dramatically illuminated against darkened walls, portraits of
Carminella (1870) by Antonio Mancini and Maria D'Annunzio,
Duchess of Gallese (1891) by Giulio Aristide Sartorio

A view of the exhibition Lei: Ritratti di donne da Van Gogh a Modigliani e oltre, featuring portraits of women, marble sculptures, and an intimate gallery setting.

(L) Carminella, 1870, oil on canvas, Antonio Mancini. (R) Ritratto di Teresa Maglione Oneto, 1879, oil on canvas, Domenico Morelli

(Left) La signora dal collaretto (Ritratto di Hanka Zborowska), 1917, oil on canvas, Amedeo Modigliani. (Right) La piccola inglese (The Little English Girl), c. 1879–1880, oil on panel, Giuseppe De Nittis 

Bagnante (The Bather), 1844, oil on panel, Francesco Hayez

A visitor contemplating Boldini's Ritratto della marchesa Casati

Remembering Marie Antoinette, Queen of France

Marie Antoinette in a Park, ca. 1780-81, by Elizabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun

In memory of Marie Antoinette (2 November, 1755 – 16 October, 1793), Queen of France, executed during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, we pray for the happy repose of her soul. Viva ‘a Reggina!

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Caravaggio: Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy at the Italian Cultural Institute of New York

Istituto Italiano di Cultura di New York