Bologna Museo Davia Bargellini
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Museo Davia Bargellini Photos
About Museo Davia Bargellini
Behind these two striking Telamones is the Museo Davia Bargellini, which opened in 1924. In English it’s called the Municipal Museum of Decorative Arts and Davia Bargellini Art Gallery.
There are seven rooms in all displaying many items which are said to have been donated by Count Davia Bargellini from 1876 with other objects stemming from the Comune of Bologna shortly after WWI. There are approximately 4,500 items on display making up an intrinsic part of Bolognese culture in days gone-by.
This first room illustrates antique furniture and objects from the 1500-1600’s. In the display cabinets are various samples of keys, locks and ancient doors knobs.
At the back of the room is this large wooden cabinet with antique vases which were in fact used between the 17-19th centuries as containers to hold herbs for pharmaceutical purposes.
In this next room which is actually room 7 there are many family portraits of the Bargellini clan. They date to between the 15-19th centuries. Most are copies. Among the best are a series of portraits executed by Bartolomeo Passerrotti up to 1692. They celebrate the career of one of their family members’ appointment as Cardinal.
In the corner is this beautiful model of a Bolognese theatre. The Venetian puppets date to the 18th century and quite clearly demonstrate the varied and numerous characters throughout the theatrical scene.
The paintings in room 2 here date to between the 1300-1500’s while there are sculptures dating to the 14th century.
The first exhibit is this terracotta bust by Vincenzo Onofri showing Virgilio Bargellini.
Magnificent works of art to look out for here are by Simone dei Crocifissi, Cristoforo, Antonio Vivarini, Amico Aspertini, Innocenzo da Imola and Prospero Fontana.
This vivid painting of St Sebastian dates to the late 1500’s by Marco Meloni.
Vitale da Bologna was responsible for this painting called the Madonna dei Denti in 1345. It hangs next to this other great work by Simone da Bologna entitled La Pietà from 1368.
The third room here is quite small and almost claustrophobic since it’s packed full with religious paintings, artifacts and chalices. Famous artists here include Tiarini, Cavedoni, Garafalini and Calvi among others. It’s presented quite like a noble chapel although there’s nothing to suggest that this was used as such.
Room number 4 contains valuable terracotta statues by Angelo Pio and Gisueppe Mazza. Other exhibits in the glass cases, for example these by Giovanni Putti were completed in the 1800’s while others were by Giovanni Bolognini a century before. Particular paintings worth of note here include ones by Calvert, Procaccini, Passarotti and Cessi.
One of the highlights of the whole museum is this spectacular miniature doll’s house in room 5. It would no doubt make any little girl’s dream come true, although perhaps a bit too valuable to let them get their hands on it since it dates to the 18th century. The detail is quite incredible even down to the designs of bed cloths and kitchen tiles.
Other items of note include baroque furniture and paintings by Fontana, Sabatini, Burini and Crespi – father and son alike.
One canvas called La Virtù fustiga il Vizio was wrongly attributed to P. Veronese in the past but now believed to have been the work of G. Zelotti.
The last room, number 6, radiates with gold from the many pieces of furniture, carvings, extravagant frames and the art work on the luxurious carriage.
At the head of the room is a huge fireplace surrounded with metallic items that may have once been used in such an environment. Above it – not too unlike an altar setting – is a biblical scene by Nunzio Rossi from the mid 1600’s.
This scene of Amore in riposo (Love at rest) belongs to a series of mythological paintings attributed to Marcantonio Franchescini probably dating to the early 18th century. This was is entitled Venre e Amore (Venus and Love).
The most eye-catching of course is this carriage dating to the 1700’s. It was destined for the Gonfaloniere di giustizi. Appearing on it though is the coat-of-arms of Cardinal Filippo de Angelis who probably took ownership of it in the early 19th century since it was completely decorated according to the late neo-classical style of that period.
References
Costa, Tiziano – Poli, Marco. Conoscere Bologna, Bologna 2005, pp255-256.
Sassatelli, Giuseppe; Govi, Cristiana Morigi; Ortalli, Jacopo; Bocchi, Francesca. Atlante Storico Delle Città Italiane Emilia Romagna Bologna, Bologna III, Bologna 1996, pp181.
External Links
http://www.comune.bologna.it/iperbole/MuseiCivici/museicivici2000ita/collezionibar.htm