The Art of Wonder from Tiepolo to Manzù
December 1, 2018 – February 24, 2019
Bergamo, Palazzo Polli Stoppani
Via San Giacomo 9
November 30 – Today , the exhibition “The Unveiled Enchantment. The Art of Wonder from Tiepolo to Manzù” was inaugurated today at the sixteenth-century Palazzo Polli Stoppani, showcasing over seventy artworks ranging from the 14th to the 20th century. The initiative is promoted by Fondazione Cariplo and Fondazione della Comunità Bergamasca, with the support of Fondazione Pesenti.
The works of Giambattista Tiepolo, Evaristo Baschenis, Giacomo Manzù, Guglielmo Ciardi, Agostino Carracci, Luca Carlevarijs, Eleuterio Pagliano, and Giacomo Ceruti accompany visitors on a fascinating journey from the Middle Ages to contemporary times.
The common thread is wonder — the discovery of the world in all its surprising and imaginative dimensions: from scientific understanding, represented through myth, portraiture, and the Wunderkammer (cabinet of curiosities, where scientists and princes began collecting marvels during the Renaissance), to 18th–19th-century landscape painting as a window on the world, offered to the enchanted gaze of the visitor.
Curated by Elena Lissoni, art historian, and Lucia Molino, head of the Fondazione Cariplo collection, the exhibition unveils the variety, richness, and quality of works from:
Fondazione Cariplo
Bergamo’s museums and institutions: Accademia Carrara, Accademia Tadini (Lovere), Fondazione Polli Stoppani, Banco BPM Group, “Paolo Sarpi” Classical High School, and the Giovanni XXIII Diocesan Seminary
Prestigious private collections
A highlight is one of the ten “wonders” from the Treasury Museum of San Gennaro in Naples: a large silver and coral cross that dazzles with its craftsmanship and historical significance.
This exhibition is the seventh stop of the Tour Open , a project bringing the artistic heritage of Fondazione Cariplo throughout Lombardy and into the provinces of Novara and Verbano Cusio Ossola, in collaboration with:
Regione Lombardia
Province and Municipality of Bergamo
Regional School Office
Photo Courtesy www.artgate-cariplo.it
PALAZZO POLLI STOPPANI
The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to visit Palazzo Polli Stoppani, a Renaissance residence in Bergamo’s Upper City. Built around 1500 by Pietro Isabello and remodeled in the 17th century — with frescoes by local artist Domenico Ghislandi.
Built directly on the bedrock of Città Alta , the building is arranged around a magnificent Renaissance courtyard on three sides and also benefits from direct access to a water source. The availability of this precious resource led to the creation of two fountains: one located outside, known as the Fountain of San Giacomo, and another inside, placed beneath a large stone arch. This evocative feature is accompanied by the inscription “Water is a most excellent thing”, forever linking the residence to the identity of the place.
Following a meticulous restoration completed in 2018, the rooms on the second floor are now used as an exhibition space, while the Polli Stoppani Foundation is housed on the first floor. The Foundation was established at the will of Vittorio Polli and Anna Maria Stoppani, with the purpose of continuing, in their memory, the charitable and assistance work to which they had devoted their entire lives.
The Wonder of the San Gennaro Treasury
A truly unique artistic and cultural heritage, the Museum of the Treasure of San Gennaro in Naples houses a wealth of masterpieces—jewels, paintings, sculptures, statues, silver furnishings, and textiles —of exquisite taste and immeasurable value. The history of the Treasure of San Gennaro is marked by prestigious donations from kings, emperors, popes, nobles, and aristocrats who, over the course of seven centuries, contributed to the creation of an extraordinary collection of 21,720 works.
Ten masterpieces form the heart of the Treasure of San Gennaro, including a precious necklace with 13 large gold links set with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies; a miter from 1713 adorned with 3,694 precious stones; and a chalice in pure gold , a gift from Pope Pius IX.
An illustrious guest of the exhibition “L’incanto svelato” (“The Unveiled Enchantment”) will be one of these ten wonders of the Treasure of San Gennaro: a magnificent “Cross” from 1707, crafted in chiseled silver and richly decorated with corals, donated by the Spera family.
www.fondazionebergamo.it Comunicato Stampa INAUGURAZIONE Comunicato Stampa GENERALE www.artgate-cariplo.it www.fondazionepollistoppani.it