Placed at the two opposite sides of
Piazza dei Cavalli (the Horses square), formerly
Piazza del Comune (the Town Hall square), the two
Farnese equestrian statues, recently restored, are
in all probability the best known and most admired
works of art in the whole town (see File 1). They
are the finest example of Baroque art in Piacenza.
Some interesting buildings look over the main square.
On the left-hand side of the Palazzo Gotico is the
Palazzo dei Mercanti, named after the Merchants'
Guild who built it in 1676; it now houses the Town
Hall.
Facing the Palazzo Gotico is the harmonious
and elegant faÁade of the Palazzo del Governatore,
which opens up in the middle with a gallery. It was
built between 1787 and 1790 on a design by architect
Lotario Tomba, and now houses the Chamber of Commerce.
There are several examples of secular and religious architecture from the seventeenth
century onwards. Among them is Palazzo Madama Margherita de' Medici, in via
del Consiglio, next to the fourteenth- century church of San Lorenzo. Built
in 1658 by the mother of Ranuccio II, it was once used as a customs warehouse
and, up to a few years ago, as a prison. Not far away, in via delle Benedettine,
is the beautiful Church of the Benedictine Nuns, erected in 1681 by Ranuccio
II as an ex-voto after the birth of his firstborn son Odoardo, and given over
to the Benedictine order. Confiscated by Napoleon, together with the nearby
convent, it was used as a military warehouse. In the last few years, considerable
restoration works have consolidated the church and its fine dome.
Walking along Corso Vittorio Emanuele
II, we find another seventeenth- century church (1650-52),
dedicated to Santa Teresa of the Carmelite order,
and built on the site of a thirteenth-century shrine.
The interior, with only one nave, is in the Baroque
style, and the chapels contain works by such artists
as the Flemish Roberto de Longe, the Natali brothers,
and Giovanni Ceruti of Brescia, called "Pitocchetto" (the
little beggar), because of the low subjects he loved
to portray. Of great value are the seventeenth-century
organ choir, the pulpit, two large vestry wardrobes,
and, in a niche of the right-hand side column, a
bronze Crucifix attributed to Francesco Mochi. Again
in Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the church of San Raimondo
(1729-33), with a heavy Baroque faÁade.
| On the long, straight
road called Stradone Farnese we find several
buildings of the nobility, among which the church
and convent of San Carlo, built after 1617 to
house the Capuchin Nuns. In 1892 they both passed
to the missionaries of Monsignor Scalabrini,
who now live there during their preparatory period.
Worthy of mention amongst the religious
buildings are the church of Santa Margherita
and the Oratory of San Cristoforo on the
corner between via Genocchi and via Gregorio
X. The latter was once called the Oratory
of Death because it was the seat of the brotherhood
which helped during funerals. It was probably
built by Valmagini, and its dome was frescoed
by Bibbiena. Also of some interest is the
faÁade of the church of San Bartolomeo in
the street of the same name, with its convex
central part and the extravagant rounded
pediment in the shape of a two-pointed hat. |
chiesa «delle Benedettine»
|
The Age of Enlightenment saw a boom
in the building of new palaces and the restoration
of ancient ones. A host of sumptuous dwellings with
charming inner gardens and courtyards sprang up throughout
the town: a leisurely walk through the centre will
give the visitor the opportunity of admiring many
of these interesting buildings.
At 7, via Carducci we find Palazzo Ferrari-Sacchini. The Ferrari family inherited
it from the noble family of Sacchini of San Giorgio in the eighteenth century.
It contains frescoes by de Longe, and recalls in style and architecture Palazzo
Odescalchi by Bernini. Via Roma has some fine buildings, among which Palazzo
Costa -with a grand staircase probably by Ferdinando Bibbiena and a remarkable
wrought-iron balustrade-, Palazzo Maruffi from the end of the seventeenth century,
and the huge Palazzo Anguissola of Grazzano, built between 1774 and 1777, with
an elegant entrance-hall divided into three aisles, and a spectacular grand
staircase leading to the second floor, decorated with stuccoes by Alessandro
della Nave and Antonio Villa. The large drawing room and other rooms were frescoed
by Giovanni Battista Ercole.
Palazzo Somaglia - scale
|
In via
Verdi we find the imposing seventeenth-century
Palazzo Malvicini Fontana of Nibbiano, a powerful
family, who during the Middle Ages ruled the
Valtidone area for a long time. In nearby via
San Siro is one of the most remarkable palaces
in Piacenza, the large edifice inherited by the
Scotti family of Sarmato in 1671. It was Napoleon's
residence in 1796, and in 1799 became the headquarters
of the Russian general Suvaroff, head of the
Austro-Russian alliance against the French. Pope
Pious VII as well lived in these rooms, beautifully
decorated with frescoes, stuccoes, a large wrought-iron
gate and a courtyard with a harmonious colonnade. |
At number 31 via San Siro is the sumptuous
Palazzo Radini Tedeschi, decorated by de Longe, Solari,
Galluzzi and other contemporary artists. Of great
beauty is the grand staircase, considered by experts
probably the most interesting in the town.
The eighteenth-century Palazzo Mandelli
in via Mandelli belonged to the marquess of Caorso,
and since 1913 it has been the local headquarters
of the Bank of Italy. The building has a wide and
tall faÁade, measuring 75 x 15 metres, with window
cornices ornate with scrolls, masks and shells, and
two elegant courtyards. The family treasures, made
up of many paintings and pieces of furniture, has
long since been divided up. Of great interest amongst
seventeenth-century buildings is Palazzo Caracciolo
at 33, via Borghetto, with its splendid brickwork
faÁade. The ample courtyard looks onto the garden,
once a botanical garden.
Not far away, at 24, via Poggiali,
is Palazzo Paveri Fontana, which housed magnificent
parties in the late Baroque period: memorable were
the celebrations in honour of Frederick Augustus,
prince of Saxony, in 1713, and those in honour of
Karl Albert, Elector of Bavaria, in 1715. From Piazzale
del Borgo we reach via San Giovanni, where, at number
7, is the fine palace which belonged to the Malvicini
Fontana in the sixteenth century. In 1718 it passed
to the Sforza Fogliani family who, in the 1920s,
bequeathed it to the Holy See, together with the
castle and many other landed estates at Castelnuovo
Fogliani.
Via San Giovanni leads into Piazzetta
Tempio, where there is the eighteenth-century palace
of the city Prefect, once the property of the Scotti
family of Vigoleno, a powerful merchant and banking
family. It was built on a site called "Guasto",
where the houses belonging to this ancient family
had been pulled down in the fourteenth century. Of
great interest are the large entrance-hall with three
aisles, the grand staircase, and the frescoes which
decorate the upper drawing room with allegories celebrating
the Scotti family.
Our tour of Baroque palaces continues
at number 48, via Taverna, with Palazzo Scotti of
Castelbosco, commissioned by Marquess Annibale Deodato
Scotti before 1736. The views of Istanbul and the
Gulf of Naples decorating the walls of the main reception
room are quite a curiosity. At number 24, via Garibaldi
is Palazzo Mischi, which was built at the beginning
of the eighteenth century, by grouping together and
restoring a mass of adjacent buildings, some of them
belonging to the Hospice of the Pilgrims of Sant'Ilario.
Of remarkable interest is the courtyard paved with
cobblestones in a floral motif. The asymmetrically-placed
staircase has a hexagonal plan, and the fresco on
the vault is attributed to Bartolomeo Rusca. At 33,
via Borghetto is the large Palazzo Landi of Chiavenna,
which was begun between 1731 and 1735. It has two
courtyards communicating with an inner garden.
| From via Borghetto
we reach Piazza Sant'Antonino, where at number
2 is the imposing Palazzo Marazzani Visconti,
built in mid-seventeenth century, and altered
from 1783 onwards. The wrought-iron gate is the
work of Luigi Tansini (1840). In via Scalabrini,
at number 67, is the Palazzo del Seminario Vescovile
(Palace of the Episcopal Seminary), commissioned
by Bishop Burali in 1575, and frequently restored
from 1748 until 1989. The entrance-hall is decorated
with the bishop's coat of arms and the bust of
the Virgin Mary in a niche. The chapel, commissioned
by Bishop Monsignor Scalabrini, was designed
by Giuseppe Perreau in the years between 1887
and 1889. |
Palazzo Scotti - garden
|
| The Teatro Municipale
Verdi dates from the nineteenth century. The
foundation stone of the new city theatre was
laid by Moreau de Saint-MÈry, general administrator
of the dukedoms and representative of France.
It was opened in 1804 amid popular celebrations,
including fireworks and a horse fair. The former
Cittadella theatre had been destroyed by fire
in 1798. The architect Lotario Tomba was commissioned
to design the new building by a society of city
nobles founded in 1803 to promote the reconstruction
of the theatre. The faÁade dates from 1830 and
is heavily indebted to the front of the Scala
theatre in Milan, by Piermarini. The interior
was decorated by the stage designer of the Milan
theatre, Alessandro Sanquirico. In the last few
decades, the Teatro Municipale has undergone
various restoration work, which has resulted
in the creation of the spacious and comfortable "Sala
degli Scenografi" in the upper part.
|
Alessandro Farnese
|
The Farnese
equestrian statues
A masterpiece of Baroque sculpture,
the two equestrian statues in Piazza Cavalli
-the square named after them- are the work
of the Tuscan sculptor Francesco Mochi of
Montevarchi (1580-1654), trained at the school
of Giambologna, who also worked in Rome and
Orvieto. For sixteen years, from 1612 to
1628, he worked on the design and execution
of the two statues commissioned by the city
fathers. The occasion which led the city
of Piacenza to invest the huge sum of 44,107
Roman scudi, plus 4,000 ducatoons for the
bas-reliefs, in celebration of the Farnese
family, was the solemn entrance into Piacenza
of Duchess Margherita Aldobrandini, wife
to the Duke Regent Ranuccio I and mother
to the heir apparent Odoardo.
The statue of Ranuccio (on the right-hand side facing the Palazzo Gotico)
was installed in 1620, that of his father Alessandro in 1625.
|
From their high pedestals, the two
bronze statues give a touch of noble dignity to the
square. Their composition scheme belongs to the Renaissance
tradition, whereas the way the horses' mane and tail
blow in the wind and the cloaks of the two bold horsemen
hang down is a typical example of Baroque dynamism.
The base of the statues is in white Carrara marble, decorated with putti, scrolls
and dedicatory inscriptions, but above all a beautiful series of bronze stiacciato
bas-reliefs. Those on the base of Alessandro's statue, later and of better
quality than the other, depict some of the most significant events in the glorious
military and political career of the Farnese duke, son of Margherita of Austria
and nephew of Philip II of Spain, army leader in the battle of Lepanto and
in the Flanders War: the siege of Antwerp, the attempt to destroy the bridge
on the Scheldt, the talks with the ambassadors of Queen Elizabeth. The bas-reliefs
dedicated to Ranuccio, who, among other things, commissioned the Farnese theatre
in Parma, represent the virtues of Good Government, Truth, Intelligence, and
a host of qualities with which a good prince should be endowed; another scene
depicts Peace standing on War and Discord, with putti holding the coats of
arms of the House of Farnese and the city of Piacenza.
| The Church of the Plague Those who wish to take a walk
along the banks of the river Po may be interested
in visiting a religious building on the outskirts
of Borgotrebbia, in a secluded and charming
location. It is the church of the Old Cemetery.
The plague of 1630, described by Manzoni
in his novel The Betrothed set in Lombardy,
killed thousands in Piacenza as well, and
about 20,000 of them were buried in this
high-water bed. In 1639, the Brotherhood
of the Virgin Mary of All Souls built an
oratory in that wet and desolate land. It
was completed in 1640, but not long after,
due to the poor conditions of the soil, the
building collapsed. The Brotherhood rebuilt
it in 1735-36, and gathered the remains of
the dead in the crypt. In recent decades,
floods and acts of vandalism and profanation
of all kinds have caused the deterioration
of both the structure and the interior decoration.
Today the church is in a state of utter degradation.
Because of its historical significance and
its unique location, among the fields and
thickets where the Trebbia flows into the
river Po, this elegant building should be
the target of serious restoration work. | 
chiesa della Confraternita
della Beata Maria Vergine
|
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