Florence, Louisa Stolberg Gedern's tomb restored thanks to American donor in love with Santa Croce

In the monumental complex of Santa Croce in Florence, the funeral monument of Louisa Stolberg Gedern (Mons, 1752 - Florence, 1824), Countess of Albany, has been restored. A woman of great intellect and marked diplomatic skills, she was the wife of the last heir of the Stuart dynasty and companion of Vittorio Alfieri. The restoration, sponsored by the Opera di Santa Croce, was made possible thanks to the support of Donna Malin, a generous American benefactor deeply connected to Florence and the monumental complex of Santa Croce.

During the presentation of the restoration, speakers included secretary general of the Opera di Santa Croce Stefano Filipponi, conservator Eleonora Mazzocchi, restorer Paola Rosa, who led the intervention with Emanuela Pieretti, and donor Donna Malin.
Louisa Stolberg Gedern’s monument is an integral part of the Santa Croce in rosa itinerary, designed to enhance the memory of courageous and innovative women, intellectuals or artists who rest or are commemorated within the monumental complex.

An existence out of the ordinary

Louisa Stolberg Gedern, gifted with intelligence and determination, lived an intense existence marked by an exceptional independence for her time. In 1772 she was chosen as the bride of Charles Edward Stuart, then in his 50s, whom the Jacobites considered the true heir to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland. The couple settled in Rome, but already after two years the marriage entered a crisis: Charles Edward, now bereft of political hope, took refuge in alcohol and proved violent toward his wife, to the point of being accused of attempted murder. The Countess of Albany sought help from Grand Duke Peter Leopold and his brother-in-law, Cardinal Henry Stuart, who offered her protection. In 1784, with the legal support of Gustav III of Sweden, she obtained a separation, an exceptional achievement for the time, and was able to secure an important economic income for herself.

His meeting with Vittorio Alfieri in Florence in 1777 profoundly marked his life. The poet himself described Louisa as a source of inspiration and support for his literary life. Together they moved to Paris, where the countess became the soul of an influential cultural circle frequented by such illustrious personalities as Jacques-Louis David, Madame de Staël, Ippolito Pindemonte, and Josephine Beauharnais, the future wife of Napoleon. With the outbreak of the Revolution, the couple returned to Florence, settling in Palazzo Gianfigliazzi on the Lungarno Corsini. Here Luisa gave life to one of the city’s most renowned literary salons, a meeting place for the greatest European intellectuals of the time.

When Alfieri died, the countess worked to have him buried in Santa Croce, commissioning Antonio Canova to create the poet’s funeral monument.

Donna Malin and her connection to Santa Croce

Donna Malin had a special relationship with the Santa Croce complex and with Florence. With a distinguished career as a lawyer in a multinational corporation behind her, she has dedicated herself to mentoring initiatives for the personal and professional development of women and was vice president of the nonprofit organization Women in Need, which provides support to homeless women and children in New York.

She discovered Florence as a teenager and has returned there every year since, spending long periods in the city. Since 2014, she has been supporting restoration projects promoted by the Opera di Santa Croce, including the #CrazyForPazzi crowdfunding campaign, the recovery of the tombs of Michelangelo and Machiavelli, and recently the restoration of Louisa Stolberg Gedern’s memorial.

The monument and the restoration

The countess’s funeral monument was commissioned by the painter François-Xavier Fabre, Louisa’s close friend and universal heir, from the sculptor Emilio Santarelli, based on a design by the French architect Charles Percier, with the contribution of Luigi Giovannozzi for the ornamentation. The work was placed in the Castellani Chapel in 1830, six years after Louisa’s death.

Of refined neo-Renaissance taste, the monument is developed within a finely carved and decorated 15th-century architectural frame. Two winged funerary Geni, with delicate childlike features, stand on either side of a cippus on which the three theological virtues, Faith, Hope and Charity, are depicted in bas-relief. At the top of the cippus, a winged hourglass symbolizes the inexorable passage of time. Engraved in the lunette of the upper arch are the coats of arms of the Stolberg and Stuart families. On the floor next to the monument is the tombstone. Consisting of 72 Apuan marble elements, the monument has suffered damage and dirt accumulation over time, particularly from the 1966 flood, which submerged it up to five feet high. Despite the cleaning carried out after the disastrous event, significant mud deposits were still present, while the three marble slabs of the basement appeared to be covered with an abundant layer of wax.

The restoration involved a thorough cleaning operation carried out in several stages, bringing to light the original surfaces and respecting the original color scheme of the various Apuan marbles used. Hot demineralized water, ammonium in solution, white spirit and scalpel were used to remove the accumulated dirt.

Florence, Louisa Stolberg Gedern's tomb restored thanks to American donor in love with Santa Croce

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.