Battista Spagnoli

A prolific scholar, writer and native of Mantua, Battista Spagnoli was professor of theology at Bologna. He produced reams of verse and, by emulating Virgil, created simulacra of the works of the great Latin poet for the age of the Renaissance. As a Carmelite, he was also a prominent religious reformer. As part of the group on the Fiera arch, the bust that depicts him combines a serenity of expression with deep contemplation.