RIPANO EUPERINO | ROME, APRIL 4 2025
“A Pius lost the Seat to preserve the faith; a Pius lost the faith to preserve the Seat.”
Thus proclaimed Pasquino to the Romans, referring to Pius VI Braschi, who died in 1799 as a prisoner in exile, and Pius VII Chiaramonti, who in 1801 signed a burdensome Concordat with Napoleon and participated in the subsequent coronation of the emperor in the church of Notre Dame in Paris.
However, all this was not enough, and the second Imolese pope was also exiled in 1808 after “the abduction.”
Rome was not a bad place at that time, before the Restoration in 1814 reinstated Governor Francesco Cavalchini to his former position with the support of the zealots. The Monsignor immediately ordered the installation of a post on Via del Corso for public whipping and a rack with a permanent gendarme to beat citizens even for minor offenses. Only Cardinal Consalvi, in his long, solitary, and losing battle against the Curia and the zealots, managed to somewhat curb their fury in defending anachronistic privileges.
(Engraving by Bartolomeo Pinelli – Glorious Return of the Holy Father to Rome, 1814)
Rome, as a department of the French Empire, enjoyed great freedom—especially artists.
Young artists dressed in what was called the “Raphael style”: tight-fitting trousers, elegant buskins, a doublet cut roughly in the fashion of the sixteenth century, long hair, and a round cap. In the early morning until noon, they worked with models. Then, the models rested until two, and the artists dined together in taverns, seated at tables divided by nationality. Discussions were almost always about art. The Germans were calm and reserved, the Spaniards were haughty, and the French and Italians engaged in animated conversations. Sometimes, the latter became so passionate when debating whether to support Camuccini or Cavaliere Landi that they came to blows.
In the afternoon, some continued working, while others strolled, admired, and studied antiquities, before gathering again for dinner in the tavern.
Foreign artists and students had their own national academies. Painters such as Verstappen (Antwerp 1771 – Rome 1853), Pierre Chauvin (Paris 1774 – Rome 1832), Voogd (Amsterdam 1768 – Rome 1839), and Ingres (Montauban 1780 – Paris 1867), who at the time followed David’s style, or sculptors like Thorvaldsen (Copenhagen 1770 – 1844), found in Rome the cultural environment necessary for their works.
(Bartolomeo Pinelli – The Canofiena in Rome, 1815)
Among the artist community, notable figures included Bartolomeo Pinelli (Rome 1771 – 1835), tall with deep-set, intense black eyes, long black hair worn like a brigand, dressed in loose-fitting trousers, always carrying a large cane and accompanied by two mastiffs.
One could also encounter Pelagio Pelagi (Bologna 1775 – Turin 1860), president of the Italian Academy, a great perspective artist and draftsman but weak in color, or Tommaso Minardi (Faenza 1787 – Rome 1871), very thin, passionate in conversation, highly imaginative, and an excellent draftsman but also lacking in color skills.
Rome was peaceful, but Napoleonic Europe was in flames, and young men were being drafted into the army. We must thank Prince Eugène de Beauharnais, who issued a decree exempting winners of artistic awards from conscription. Thanks to him, young talents such as Francesco Hayez (Venice 1791 – Milan 1882) and Gioachino Rossini (Pesaro 1792 – Paris 1868)—whose friendship, formed in Rome, lasted a lifetime—were spared from meeting their end on a battlefield.
(Francesco Hayez, Self-portrait in a Group of Friends)
At the beginning of his stay in Rome, Hayez was struck by the difference between the old masters and Venetian painting, the latter characterized by strong and luminous colors. However, he soon realized the lack of realism in Venetian colors, foreshadowing his romantic vocation.
When he arrived in Rome in 1809, Hayez was fortunate to have the patronage of Antonio Canova (Possagno 1757 – Venice 1822), who at that time dominated the Roman art scene. As president of all Roman museums, Canova had created the monument to Pope Rezzonico (Clement XIII) in St. Peter’s and other major works.
In his studio on Vicolo delle Colonnette, he shaped his clay models. Several young assistants roughly chiseled the marble, and two sculptors refined it further, leaving a thin layer that Canova would personally carve to bring his masterpieces to life.
In the studio, he always wore a paper cap and, even when receiving guests, kept a hammer and chisel in hand, speaking while working and pausing intermittently.
After the Congress of Vienna, Pope Pius VII entrusted him with the task of recovering the works of art stolen by the French—a mission he carried out successfully. As a reward, the Pope granted him the title of Marquis of Ischia.
(Antonio Canova – Funeral Monument of Clement XIII)