The spectacle of the Pinwheel in ancient paintings. The exhibition at Castel Sant'Angelo

by Redazione , published on 27/06/2024
Categories: Exhibitions / Disclaimer
From June 27 to September 29, 2024, Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome is hosting an exhibition to discover the origin of the tradition of the Girandola, the Roman festival present as early as the 15th century, through paintings and works of art.

On view from June 27 to September 29, 2024 Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome is the historical-documentary exhibition entitled The Marvel of Time. The Girandola and the Art of Pyrotechnics at Castel Sant’Angelo. The exhibition, which includes paintings, prints and manuscripts, aims to reconstruct the tradition of the Girandola, one of the most spectacular festivals that took place in Rome as early as the 15th century, repeating itself on different occasions, the most famous of which was June 29, the day dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, patrons of the city. Conceived by Dr.ssa Eva M. Antulov with the historical-scientific advice of archaeologist Giuseppe Passeri, the exhibition was realized by the Pantheon and Castel Sant’Angelo Institute - National Museums Directorate of the City of Rome and is supported by the scientific committee chaired by Prof. Claudio Strinati, and composed, in addition, of Prof. Michele Rak and Dr. Sandro Bari. Speakers included: the Director General of Museums, Prof. Massimo Osanna, the President of Commission VII Culture, Science and Education at the Chamber of Deputies Hon. Federico Mollicone, the head of Institutional Affairs Tirrenica Adriatica Enel, Dr. Cristiana Di Torrice, Prof Claudio Strinati, art historian, former Superintendent for the Roman Museum Pole, Dr. Eva M. Antulov of Invicta Group IX and arch. Giuseppe Passeri, of Gruppo IX Invicta, creator of the Historical Reenactment of the Girandola.

“With this exhibition,” comments Director General Museums Massimo Osanna, “Castel Sant’Angelo pays tribute to an extraordinary spectacle that has been an integral part of the history of the city and the monument itself for centuries. Thanks to the collaboration of a high-level scientific committee and the support of Enel Italia, Romans, tourists and lovers of history, art and culture will be able to learn more about this ancient tradition, learn about its origins and appreciate its fundamental role in Rome’s culture. The exhibition is also a valuable opportunity to offer to the public’s gaze a series of works from the collections of Castel Sant’Angelo, hitherto kept in storage, which have gained new light thanks to the restoration and conservation work specially carried out.”

“The exhibition and the contemporary fires represent the centrality of historical re-enactment and Castel Sant’Angelo in the national cultural scenario,” says Chairman of the VII Culture, Science and Education Commission at the Chamber Hon. Federico Mollicone “The Girandola was an event that drew spectators from all over Europe, an appointment where foreigners of all ranks and social classes converged, a moment when Rome returned to shine with the ancient splendor that helped make it increasingly a beacon of culture and civilization in the world. The Pinwheel restored pride to the Romans at least until the beginning of the last century, a date when it was lost among the thousands of secrets that our city still hides in its libraries and old stories handed down. The research and technical experimentation related to the fires generated challenges and comparisons between geniuses of the past, including Michelangelo, Bernini, Vespignani and up to 1900 with Gioacchino Ersoch, who conceived and carried out rather daring and singular projects in the fields of architecture, chemistry and mechanics. An institutional exhibition on the Girandola, for which I thank the General Directorate of Museums of the Ministry of Culture, the scientific committee and Giuseppe Passeri and Eva Antulov, is the completion of a historical journey that began in 2006 by IX Invicta and was institutionalized in 2008, when I was chairman of the Culture Commission, and arrived, thanks to tenacity and determination, to be recognized as an institutional event of the Italian state. The next step will be the proposed candidacy of the Pinwheel as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.”

Italian ambit, Buttafuoco da bombardiere (second half of the 16th century, steel; Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo, Inv. CSA III/1158)
Italian ambit, Buttafuoco da bombardiere (second half of the 16th century, steel; Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo, Inv. CSA III/1158)
Copy from Ventura Salimbeni, Miraculous Apparition of the Angel to Gregory the Great (post 1602; oil on canvas; Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo, Inv. CSA III/1)
Copy from Ventura Salimbeni, Miraculous Apparition of the Angel to Gregory the Great (post 1602; oil on canvas; Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo, Inv. CSA III/1)
Franz Theodor Aerni, The Pinwheel of Castel Sant'Angelo (late 19th century; oil on canvas; Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo, Inv. CSA III/427)
Franz Theodor Aerni, The Pinwheel of Castel Sant’Angelo (late 19th century; oil on canvas; Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo, Inv. CSA III/427)
Giuseppe Fidanza, La Girandola di Castello (1787; oil on canvas; Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo, Inv. CSA III/7)
Giuseppe Fidanza, La Girandola di Castello (1787; oil on canvas; Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo, Inv. CSA III/7)
Pieter Coecke Van Aelst (attr.), Pinwheel at Castel Sant'Angelo (first half of the 16th century; etching; Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo, Inv. CSA III/8)
Pieter Coecke Van Aelst (attr.), Girandola at Castel Sant’Angelo (first half of the 16th century; etching; Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo, Inv. CSA III/8)
Willem van Nieulandt II called Guglielmo Terranova, Frontal View of Castel Sant'Angelo with the Girandola (c. 1620; oil on canvas; Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo, Inv. CSA III/32)
Willem van Nieulandt II called Guglielmo Terranova, Frontal View of Castel Sant’Angelo with the Girandola (c. 1620; oil on canvas; Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo, Inv. CSA III/32)

Practical information

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (last admission 6:30 p.m.). Closed Mondays.

Tickets: Full € 16.00; Reduced (18-25 years old) € 2.00

The spectacle of the Pinwheel in ancient paintings. The exhibition at Castel Sant'Angelo
The spectacle of the Pinwheel in ancient paintings. The exhibition at Castel Sant'Angelo


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