Madonna della Vittoria

The masterpiece by Andrea Mantegna that we can admire here is unfortunately no longer visible to those visiting Virgil’s hometown today. The large tempera painting on wood, two metres high, 80 centimeters wide and 166 centimeters long, is now in the Louvre, in Paris. It was plundered by Napoleon’s troops during the Italian campaign and taken to the Louvre in 1798. It was never given back to its rightful owner, the Italian church, also because of difficulty in transportation. This work is in many ways spectacular. It was commissioned by the marquise Francesco Gonzaga and by his wife Isabella d’Este. It is basically an ex voto with which the ruler of Mantua wanted to thank God for having survived the Fornovo battle, fought July 6, 1495, by the French army and the armies of the Holy League, formed by the Pope, Ludovico Sforza of Milan and the city of Venice, the Italian army led by Francesco. Although the battle ended in a draw, it managed to temporarily halt the invasion of the Italian peninsula. The painting is characterized by the monumentality typical of the late Mantegna. It is composed by a piramidal construction at the apex of which is the Virgin Mary, surrounded by four saint warriors, Saint Andrew, Saint Michael, Saint Longinus and Saint George, by Francesco himself and by an elderly female figure who might be Elisabeth, or perhaps the Blessed Osanna Andreasi. The Virgin Mary, baby Jesus and Saint John are on a precious piedestal on which a scene depicting the temptation of Adam and Eve is visible. The setting is a beautiful pergola, decorated by flowers and fruit, from which a large red coral hangs, symbol of Passion. The pomposity of the scene somewhat diminishes its spontaneity, though the work undoubtedly confirms the painter’s skill in depicting his characters in a sculptural manner, combining very strong colour tones that stand out in the pictorial space.             

This image documents one of the last phases of the restoration of the ground floor. Here we can see that the ground floor is delimited by a wooden beamed ceiling that does not allow to view the single nave in its entirety. The decorations on the wall present various empty spots; they date to different periods, but the most important ones date to the last years of the 15th century. It is evident that these were the result of a direct influence of Andrea Mantegna. On the left we can see two small chapels, connected to room that gives onto the ancient convent.

Inside a second arch, slightly higher than the first one, we see the figure of God opening his arms to men, directing the dove of the Holy Spirit towards them. This fresco is characterized by swift brushwork.

Another painted sepulchre, though from a different period and with a different style. The writing on it reads: 1561. Inside the small church, families that were not very wealthy could commission a virtual representation of a tomb of a dear one, an alternative to a marble tomb that was much more expensive. Also, the size of the nave would not have allowed to insert very imposing burials.  

Saint Eusebius was a noble Hungarian who lived in the 13th century. He became a hermit and soon acquired the fame of saint. He founded the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit with the permission of Pope Urban IV. Here he is represented holding a book, his body almost pyramidal, his face tired and expressing kindness, in what is certainly a personal interpretation of this figure. As for many other figures shown here, plant motifs can be seen decorating the tondo in which he appears.

The Blessed Walter lived in France, precisely in Picardy. A hermit monk, he became very famous for his holy life, his charity and his personal battle against corruption inside the church. He also is depicted with rays of light, and his eyes express the strength of his faith. His thin hands are open in the act of blessing, while showing us a book. His large white beard is another notable element in the fresco.  

The Evangelist, patron of the arts and of medicine, was born in Antiochia, and is buried in the Basilica di Santa Giustina in Padova. Here he appears intent on writing in a language that might be Latin, or Greek, perhaps Hebrew, a language not known to the painter who depicted him. His beautiful features are somewhat melancholic. Beneath him we can see the head of a bull with a look that is almost human. This animal is his symbol, because his Gospel begins with the sacrifice of Zechariah in which a bull is killed. On the whole, the artistic quality of the section is which the Evangelists are represented is higher, and shows a more refined use of colours.

Also in this case the Evangelist is portrayed as a young man. He seems to be discussing animatedly, his hand open, with the angel next to him. Matthew's symbol here becomes a concrete figure, it is larger than the eagle, the lion and the bull, and it is evidently speaking to the Evangelist, dictating the text. The angels is, in fact, touching the scroll, which seems to be written in Latin: we can clearly read the words pater noster. From an artistic point of view it is one of the finest tondos: the characters express a subtle and intense concentration and attention to the divine message.

The careful restoration process has brought back to light these beautiful coils, with plant motifs, which underline the way the pattern chosen by the unknown artist is based on the combination of clear colours that stand out against the brighter colours of the background. Light blue, yellow, red. The effect created is similar to what can be seen in paintings by Mantegna, and the architecture is embellished by insertions suggesting the idea of a close relationship between the inventions of man and those of nature. Still today this kind of painting can be seen inside many houses in Mantua, which is typical of the second half of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th. In some cases these traces are visible also on facades, which once must have given the city a lush and lively appearance.