Discovering Marco Palmezzano and Luca Longhi, masters of the Renaissance in Romagna

The Italian Renaissance left deep and indelible traces in the culture and art of Romagna, a land capable of combining local tradition with national and international influences. Among the protagonists of this artistic season, Marco Palmezzano and Luca Longhi stand out for their ability to innovate and reinterpret the pictorial language of the period. Following in their footsteps, this itinerary winds through churches, picture galleries and villages, amid evocative landscapes and works of extraordinary beauty.

Marco Palmezzano (Forlì, c. 1459 - 1539) is a central figure of the Romagna Renaissance. A follower of Melozzo da Forlì, he was able to develop his own artistic identity, combining his master’s skill in perspective with influences from the Umbrian-Roman and Venetian schools. Palmezzano left an extraordinary body of work, consisting of altarpieces, portraits and architectural decorations. His production, distributed between Romagna, Marche and Veneto, is a perfect example of the synthesis of local tradition and stylistic innovation.

His altarpieces, such as the Annunciation housed in the San Domenico Museums in Forlì, show a remarkable sensitivity to spatial representation and the interaction between human figures and landscape. Throughout his career, Palmezzano created solemn and harmonious compositions, often integrated with architectural elements that amplify the perspective depth of his works.

Dozza

The medieval village of Dozza preserves Marco Palmezzano’s Madonna and Child Enthroned between St. John the Baptist and St. Margaret in the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. The work depicts the Madonna seated on a throne in the center of the scene, wearing a red dress and a blue mantle, while supporting the Child standing on her lap. To her right is Saint Margaret, depicted standing in a blue robe and pink cloak. On her left appears St. John the Baptist, dressed in brown and holding a cross wrapped with a white ribbon on which is written. In the background is a landscape, while in the foreground is a polychrome marble floor. This work of great artistic value was originally placed in a room of the sacristy and, before that, probably included in an altarpiece. The painting is believed to have been made at the request of a parishioner, as suggested by the dedication to G. Bernardi. From the Estimi records kept in the Historical Municipal Archives of Dozza, it appears that Bernardi was a major landowner between 1450 and 1490. It is plausible that he commissioned the work for the church of his parish as a sign of religious devotion to the Virgin and St. John.

Brisighella

Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli

In Brisighella, a village nestled in the hills of the Romagna Apennines, the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli or dell’Osservanza holds one of Marco Palmezzano’s masterpieces: the Madonna and Child Enthroned among Three Angels and Four Saints (1520). This altarpiece, signed and dated, is a perfect example of the Sacred Conversation: at the center of a strict symmetry is the Virgin seated on a throne richly decorated with grotesques. Two angels lift the curtains of a canopy, creating a dramatic effect that gives the Virgin an aura of royalty. Surrounding her, symmetrically arranged saints are portrayed in everyday attitudes: St. Francis reads a book, St. Anthony Abbot leans on his staff, and St. Jerome beats his chest with a stone. Each figure is characterized by minute details, such as the shining armor probably of St. George or the stigmata of St. Francis, which underscore Palmezzano’s narrative ability. The landscape in the background, with its hills and open vistas, creates a sense of depth that amplifies the three-dimensional effect of the scene.

The lunette of Marco Palmezzano’s work The Eternal Father depicts God the Father, described as an old man with a white beard divided into two locks, in a blessing attitude. The figure is surrounded by a host of cherubim and, with outstretched arms, assumes a triangular shape symbolizing the Trinity, also recalled by the gesture of the blessing hand with three raised fingers. This panel, cleaned up in 1957 and presented in Forlì during an exhibition dedicated to the famous painter from Forlì, underwent further restoration recently. In 2004 it was once again placed in its original position.

Collegiate Church of San Michele Arcangelo

Also in Brisighella, the Collegiate Church of San Michele Arcangelo is home to Palmezzano’s Adoration of the Magi, a work that is characterized by its compositional balance, the stateliness of the characters’ attitudes, the careful finesse of its details, and its sumptuousness and decorative richness. The altarpiece was commissioned in 1514 by the Naldi family, captains of fortune, and is distinguished by its compositional balance and chromatic vivacity.

At the center of the scene is the Blessed Virgin, seated on a boulder in a frontal position, with the infant Jesus on her lap. Kneeling before her is one of the Magi, identified as Gaspar, an elderly man with white hair and a long beard, who kisses the Child’s foot while offering him a golden casket. A cartouche with the author’s signature and date stands out on the casket: “Marchus Palmizanus pictor foroliviensis faciebat MCCCCCXIIII.” Baby Jesus turns a blessing gaze toward the other two Magi, Balthasar and Melchior, the latter represented, contrary to tradition, without African somatic features. On the left side of the composition is glimpsed St. Joseph, a slightly stooped elderly man leaning on a staff. Behind them rise the marble columns of a sumptuous building, while a lively landscape unfolds in the background: hills, castles, impassable mountains and valleys animated by warriors on foot and horseback, as well as camel caravans advancing in procession.

Superimposed on the panel is the lunette, with the half-figure dispute of Jesus among the doctors. The scene is dominated by the infant Jesus, his arms spread wide in a red robe and green mantle.

Faenza: The Pinacoteca Comunale

The Pinacoteca Comunale in Faenza is a must-see for anyone who wants to learn more about Palmezzano’s work. Among the most important works in the collection is the Madonna and Child Enthroned between St. Michael the Archangel and St. James the Less (1497), with the Eternal Father and cherubs in the lunette. This is one of the highest achievements of Palmezzano’s early activity, where the influence of the master Melozzo blends consistently with the experiences of the Venetian school. The side saints, St. Michael and St. James the Less, are depicted with an elegance that reflects the influence of Venetian painting. The landscape in the background is populated with symbolic scenes and is characterized by meticulous naturalistic description.

Other masterpieces housed here are the panels depicting St. Augustine and Archangel Raphael, undoubtedly two fragments of the same polyptych, where the saint is depicted standing, wearing a white mitre decorated with precious gems set in gold. He wears a red cope adorned with gold details over a dark robe and is concentrated in reading a book he holds in one hand, while with the other he holds the crosier. And Archangel Raphael is depicted together with young Tobias, portrayed at a younger age than in the biblical narrative. The composition shows the influence of Venetian painting, particularly that of Giovanni Bellini, recognizable in the softness of the brushstroke, the choice of harmonious color tones, and the use of warm light. Elements that testify to a mature and well-defined phase in Marco Palmezzano’s artistic style. There are also four panels with saints, probably fragments of an altarpiece, of which neither the commissioner nor ancient historical information is known, and a Christ carrying the cross.

Castrocaro Terme: The Church of Saints Nicholas and Francis

In Castrocaro Terme, a town famous for its hot springs, the Church of Saints Nicholas and Francis, dating from 1398 but renovated in 1520, contains the Blessed Virgin with Saints Augustine and Anthony of Padua, painted in 1500 by Marco Palmezzano. The Virgin, depicted enthroned while breastfeeding the Child, dominates the scene with a serene and maternal expression. On her sides are Saints Augustine and Anthony of Padua: the former, dressed as a bishop with a mitre on his head, holds a voluminous book in his left hand and a pastoral staff in his right; the latter wears a Franciscan habit and holds a closed red book in his hand.

Forli

Forlì, birthplace of Marco Palmezzano, is the centerpiece of the Renaissance itinerary in Romagna. Its churches and museums house an extraordinary collection of the artist’s works.

San Domenico Museum and Municipal Art Gallery

The San Domenico Museum is a treasure trove of Renaissance treasures. Among Palmezzano’s masterpieces are The Annunciation (1495-1497), which the artist painted after his trip to Venice for the Church of the Carmine, and the fresco depicting the Crucifix, the Madonna and Saints Francis, Clare, John the Evangelist and Magdalene, painted around 1492 on the back wall of the apse of the church attached to the women’s convent of Santa Maria della Torre in Forlì. This work is of crucial importance for understanding Palmezzano’s artistic evolution, as it reflects the style and influences of his early phase. The fresco is not only a significant masterpiece in the artist’s production, but also represents the only known example of his work in the field of fresco painting. Also, the Glorificazione di sant’Antonio Abate in trono fra i santiGiovanni Battista e Sebastiano" (Pala Ostoli), painted between 1496-97, The Communion of the Apostles painted in 1506 for the high altar of Forlì Cathedral and inaugurated on the occasion of Pope Julius II’s visit to the city (Oct. 9-17, 1506) , and the Annunciazione piccola.

The Pinacoteca also houses works by Luca Longhi, such as the Portrait of Cesare Hercolani, a famous Captain from Forli, and the large panel painting of the Madonna and Child, Saint Catherine and Saint Ursula with the Virgins.

Walking through the alleys of the historic center, one then comes across the House owned by Palmezzano and the Church of San Biagio, inside which the artist’s Triptych is preserved, while in the Cathedral, in the Chapel of St. Anne, one can admire his San Rocco.

Abbey of San Mercuriale

The Abbey of San Mercuriale is one of the most significant places in Forli. Palmezzano’s works preserved inside include the altarpiece of the Immaculate Conception and the Madonna and Child with Saints John the Evangelist and Catherine of Alexandria.

Forlimpopoli: The Longhi imprint.

Church of Santa Maria dei Servi

In the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi, built in the second half of the 15th century, is the Annunciation painted by Marco Palmezzano in 1533. Unlike earlier versions of the same theme, this painting has a greater stylistic simplicity and an emphasis on the sacredness of the scene rather than on decorative details.

Basilica of San Rufillo

The Basilica of San Rufillo houses two works from Luca Longhi’s early phase, including Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saints Valerian and Lucy and Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saints Ruffilo and Anthony of Padua. Two works that are both part of the commission of Antonello Zampeschi, lord of Forlimpopoli, and depict sacred conversations. The Madonna Enthroned with Child and Saints Valeriano and Lucia is the painter’s earliest known work and shows how the artist had already fixed a precise compositional scheme along with some fundamental stylistic elements. Indeed, one can see here his sentimental inclination.

Cesena: The Pinacoteca Comunale and the Gallery of Ancient Paintings.

Cesena offers a rich Renaissance artistic heritage, well represented by the Pinacoteca Comunale (open upon request) and the Galleria dei Dipinti Antichi of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cesena. If the Pinacoteca houses works by Antonio Aleotti di Argenta, a painter very close to the style of Marco Palmezzano, it is in the Galleria dei Dipinti Antichi, an essential stop for those who want to delve into Renaissance art in Romagna, that works by both Palmezzano and Luca Longhi can be found.

Santarcangelo di Romagna: The MUSAS

Santarcangelo di Romagna is home to the Museo Storico Archeologico (MUSAS), located inside the Palazzo Cenci. The museum’s collections include works ranging from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, with a focus on the Romagna Renaissance. Among the great masterpieces housed here is a 16th-century panel by Luca Longhi.

Ravenna

The itinerary concludes in Ravenna, at the Basilica Santuario di Santa Maria in Porto, where in the right aisle you can admire the Madonna Assunta e santi by Francesco Longhi, and at the MAR - Museo d’Arte della Città, where a significant nucleus of works between the late 15th century and the first half of the 16th century is preserved: these include works by Marco Palmezzano (The Presentation in the Temple, The Nativity, Portrait), but also by Luca Longhi and his sons Francesco and Barbara, along with the protagonists of the season of Raphaelism in Romagna.

Discovering Marco Palmezzano and Luca Longhi, masters of the Renaissance in Romagna

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