Julio Algañaraz
02/25/2021 16:30
Clarín.com
World
Updated 02/25/2021 16:30
There are many mysteries surrounding the 50 green boxes, which especially protect against fires and which looks like a treasure trove of works of art,
which has been found that under the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican
.
Inside the boxes, of various dimensions, there are “dozens and dozens” of old paintings, marble sculptures, 15th century frescoes perhaps from churches and archaeological material.
Most of them are authentic pieces, but there is a part of "author's fakes" from the 19th century,
made with remarkable talent.
Franca Giansoldati,
the Vatican correspondent for the Roman daily
Il Messaggero
, gave the scoop on Thursday.
The quantity and quality of the works of art accumulated in the Basilica of San Pedro is so important that the discovery does not impress much to the monsignors and canons who
take care of the wonders of the
most important
temple
of the Universal Church, from La Piedad that Miguel Angel sculpted and signed (only sculpture) when he was young.
It was precisely a canonical elder, Michele Basso, who accumulated the vast collection and placed it in a little-frequented space
under the "Cupolone"
, another work of the genius of Michelangelo.
The “Cupolone” is actually the great priceless work of art of the basilica,
with an internal diameter of 42 meters
and a height that raises the dimension of Saint Peter to 130 meters.
With the Colosseum they are the indelible marks of identity of the architectural landscape of Rome.
The “tesoretto” is under the protection of the curious, explains Franca Giansoldati,
in a place closed with a double key
that is very difficult to reach.
The content of the fifty boxes is being verified to determine the origin of "this true fortune" and to know if it was part of private collections or if the works were bought over the years.
Some experts believe that they may have been donated to the Vatican by convents or religious institutions and the goods were never cataloged.
Fabrics and pots
The arrival of the new archprete of the basilica is expected, the Cardinal of Asis Maruo Gambetti, naturally Franciscan, who Pope Francis appointed in place of Cardinal Angelo Comastri, retired due to age limits.
Il Messaggero's
correspondent
explains that "naturally the Pope and the Secretary of State are
aware of the existence of boxes
full of works of art."
A few months ago, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the "prime minister" of the Argentine pontiff, inspected the material.
Father Michele Basso explained that “I have donated everything to the San Pedro Factory,
I am no longer the owner
”.
He only said of the large number of works he accumulated that · "some were bought, others given away."
The examination of the material carried out in the Saint Peter's Factory, which is the entity that takes care of the maintenance of the Basilica, brought to light magnificent fabrics from the Mattia Pretti school, sketches by Pietro da Cortona, tables by Guercino, Golzius, Pascualotto, as
well as 16th century
sculptures and a white marble sculpture inspired by the Prisons of Miguel Angel.
Authentic fabrics are mixed,
Il Messaggero
narrates
, with works that are "author's fakes", forgeries carried out by talented artisans.
There are Etruscan and Roman vases
made with such talent that they resemble the real ones like drops of water, including a copy of the Euphronius Vase.
Giansoldati points out that they were probably produced in Rome in the late 19th century, when it was fashionable to reproduce Roman and Etruscan manufactures, so remarkably that the works are circulating today in a flourishing international market.
Last year the Pope ordered to open
an internal inspection
on the management clarity of the San Pedro Factory.
No information has been given about the outcome of the investigation.
PB
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