''Blessed Ludovica Albertoni'' () is a

funerary monument Funerary art is any work of art forming, or placed in, a repository for the remains of the dead. The term encompasses a wide variety of forms, including cenotaphs ("empty tombs"), tomb-like monuments which do not contain human remains, and comm ...

by the Italian Baroque artist

Gian Lorenzo Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italians, Italian sculptor and Italian architect, architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prom ...

.Wittkower 1955, p. 294. The

Trastevere Trastevere () is the 13th of Rome, Italy. It is identified by the initials R. XIII and it is located within Municipio I. Its name comes from Latin (). Its coat of arms depicts a golden head of a lion on a red background, the meaning of which i ...

sculpture is located in the specially designed Altieri Chapel in the Church of

San Francesco a Ripa San Francesco a Ripa is a church in Rome, Italy. It is dedicated to Francis of Assisi who once stayed at the adjacent convent. The term ''Ripa'' refers to the nearby riverbank of the Tiber. History The origins of this church are related to a Fr ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, Italy.Avery 1997, p. 151. Bernini started the project in 1671, but his work on two other major works—''The Tomb of Pope Alexander VII'' and the ''Altar of the Blessed Sacrament'' in St. Peter's Basilica—delayed his work on the funerary monument. Bernini completed the sculpture in 1674;Wittkower 1955, p. 295.Perlove 1990 it was installed by 31 August 1674.Bernini 2011, p. 412.

Background

The subject of the sculpture,

Ludovica Albertoni Ludovica Albertoni (1473 - 31 January 1533) was an Italian Roman Catholic noblewoman from the Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. I ...

, was a Roman noblewoman who entered the

Third Order of St. Francis The Third Order of Saint Francis, or Franciscan Tertiaries, is the third order of the Franciscan tradition of Christianity, founded by the medieval Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi. Francis founded the Third Order, originally called t ...

following the death of her husband. She lived a pious life, working for the poor of the

neighborhood, under the guidance of the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...

s of San Francesco Church, where she was buried in 1533. One of her descendants,

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

Paluzzo Paluzzi degli Albertoni, had a nephew who married the niece of

Pope Clement X Pope Clement X (; ; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death on 22 July 1676. Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, born in Rome in ...

, who in turn formally adopted the cardinal as his own nephew and allowed him to take the pontiff's own surname, "Altieri". Pope Clement

beatified Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the ...

Cardinal Albertoni's ancestor, granting her the title of "Blessed". The cardinal then commissioned major improvements to her chapel in the Church of San Francesco, which had become the site of her

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

. After several artists competed to do the work, Bernini was awarded the commission, and took on the project without pay.Wittkower 1955, pp. 295–296. He was 71 years old when he began the work, and it was one of his last sculptures. Some scholars have questioned the 1671 start date, pointing to a document showing that Bernini purchased the white marble for the statue on 7 February 1674. This would have placed the start in late 1673, meaning the artist executed the work in six months. The sculpture was installed by 31 August 1674.

Description

The figure of Ludovica Albertoni is set above the altar of the Altieri Chapel on the left side of the church of San Francesco a Ripa. Bernini designed an architectural setting that focuses attention on the marble sculpture, framing it within an archway he cut into an existing wall where a painting had previously hung.Avery 1997, p. 151. The main figure is flanked by deep returns set at oblique angles decorated with earlier frescoes of

Saint Clare of Assisi Chiara Offreduccio (16 July 1194 – 11 August 1253), known as Clare of Assisi (sometimes spelled ''Clara'', ''Clair'' or ''Claire''; ), is an Italian saint who was one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. Inspired by the teachings of ...

and Blessed Ludovica herself providing alms to a beggar. The central figure is lit on both sides by large windows concealed by the returns. The figure of Ludovica Albertoni is presented on a mattress at the moment of

mystical Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight ...

communion with God. The folds of her habit reflect her state of turmoil, and her head is thrown back onto an embroidered pillow supported by a headrest. Beneath her figure is a deeply crumpled sculpted cloth above a red-marble sarcophagus, where Ludovica is interred. The panel behind her is carved with stylized pomegranates; flaming hearts adorn the base of the windows. She is surrounded by

putti A putto (; plural putti ) is a figure in a work of art depicted as a chubby male child, usually naked and very often winged. Originally limited to profane passions in symbolism,Dempsey, Charles. ''Inventing the Renaissance Putto''. University ...

, ready to guide her spirit to heaven. The painting above the sculpture is by Bernini's protégé

Baciccio Giovanni Battista Gaulli (8 May 1639 – 2 April 1709), also known as Baciccio or Baciccia (Genoese nicknames for ''Giovanni Battista''), was an Italian Baroque painter working in the High Baroque and early Rococo periods. He is best known for h ...

Similar works

Bernini Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, ; ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 1598 – 28 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor ...

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Antonio Giorgetti Antonio Giorgetti (1635 – 24 December 1669) was an Italian sculptor. He was born and died in Rome, where he spent his entire career, a disciple of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. His most prominent sculpture is the ''Angel with the Sponge'' on the ''P ...

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's statue of the dying Saint Anastasia in the

Basilica di Sant'Anastasia al Palatino Sant'Anastasia is a minor basilica and titular church for cardinal-priests in Rome, Italy owned by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Basilica Sant'Anastasia was built in the late 3rd century - early 4th century, possibly by a Roman woman name ...

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's sculpture of

Saint Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...

Sant'Andrea delle Fratte Sant'Andrea delle Fratte ("Saint Andrew of the Thickets") is a 17th-century basilica church in Rome, Italy, dedicated to St. Andrew. The Cardinal Priest of the ''Titulus S. Andreae Apostoli de Hortis'' is Ennio Antonelli. History The current ch ...

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * *

External links

*
Web Gallery of Art
{{Gianlorenzo Bernini Sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini Baroque sculptures 1674 sculptures Marble sculptures in Italy Sculptures of women in Italy Funerary art Sculptures of putti

Background

Description

Similar works

See also

References

External links