Name of Monument:

Palazzo Barberini, The Triumph of Divine Providence ceiling fresco

Location:

Rome, Latium, Italy

Date:

1632–39

Artists:

Pietro da Cortona

Denomination / Type of monument:

Fresco

Patron(s):

Pope Urban VIII Barberini

History:

In 1625, Urban VIII Barberini, two years after his election to the papal throne, inaugurated the construction of the large family palace at the Quirinale based on a project by Carlo Maderno. After Maderno’s death (1629) Gian Lorenzo Bernini took over, with the assistance of Francesco Borromini and Pietro da Cortona. The innovative element of Bernini's project is the structural and symbolic centrality, assumed by the reception hall, which aimed at celebrating the glory of the client’s family with its grandiose frescoed vault. The architecture of the vault was completed in 1630, and from November 1632 until December 1639 Pietro Berrettini da Cortona frescoed it. Pietro had been chosen by Urban VIII over the Umbrian painter Andrea Camassei, who had previously decorated one of the rooms in the piano nobile. The pope understood that the ambitious project of the vault decoration would require an extraordinary talent, like the 36-year-old Cortona artist who had already proved himself in frescoes such as those in the Church of Santa Bibiana or in history paintings such as the famous Rape of the Sabine Women, made for Marcello Sacchetti (now in the Capitoline Picture Gallery, Rome).

Description:

The symbolic content of the grandiose fresco was provided by a cultured man of the court of Urban VIII, the poet Francesco Bracciolini, who in 1625 had written a celebratory poem for the election of Pope Barberini, divided into a series of allegorical scenes which would later be visually translated on the vault by Pietro da Cortona. The dominant and unifying theme is that of Providence and the fulfilment of its ends under the pontificate of Urban VIII.
The vault, 400 square meters wide, is divided into five sectors through a fake marble frame, one central and four lateral, trapezoid shaped. The large rectangular central panel depicts the personification of Providence with a golden cape and a sceptre, flanked by Purity, Justice, Piety, Truth and Beauty. On the left of Providence stands Immortality, bearing a crown of stars destined for the Barberini coat of arms, with the three bees placed inside a laurel wreath (symbol of triumph but also of poetic ability, a virtue attributed to Urban VIII) held by the three theological virtues, Faith, Hope and Charity. Religion helped by a putto triumphantly carries the Vatican keys, while the goddess Rome carries the tiara, symbol of papal temporal power.
The figures are characterized by a lively chromatism, reminiscent of the Venetian tradition, and by Michelangelo's monumentality. They seem to break through the limits of the architectural frame by projecting themselves onto an open and continuous space. Compared to the famous frescoes by Annibale Carracci in Palazzo Farnese, which instead presented the scenes framed inside squared spaces, Pietro da Cortona’s solution was extremely innovative.

Bernini created the high central salone, which extends through two stories of the palace. The salone culminates in the great vault on which Piero da Cortona frescoed his Divine Providence, a pictorial celebration of the spiritual and temporal glories of the Barberini. Superb example of illusionist art.

How Monument was dated:

Archival documentation.

Special features

The Triumph of Intelligence over Brutality

The Triumph of Intelligence, represented as Minerva, over Brutality, symbolized by the Giants.

The Good Government of Urban VIII

The Good Government of Urban VIII, with Dignity in the centre flanked on the left by Prudence and on the right by the Delegated Power which receives a letter and is preparing to leave on a mission; on the left, the Forge of Vulcan, and on the right Peace and Fame.

The Triumph of Peace and Justice

The Triumph of Peace and Justice, with the flying figures of Justice, holding the fasces, and of Abundance, with the fruits.

The Triumph of Religion and Spirituality

The Triumph of Religion and Spirituality, where Science, holding a book on the one hand and fire on the other, gazes at the Heaven above, the true source of knowledge. Down next to her, Religion holding a tripod.

Selected bibliography:

Rolfi, S., “Palazzo Barberini”, I principi della chiesa, Milan: Edizioni Charta, 1998: 162–164.
Lo Bianco, A., La volta di Pietro da Cortona, Rome: National Gallery of Ancient Art at Palazzo Barberini, 2004.

Additional Copyright Information:

Copyright images: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma.

Citation of this web page:

Pier Paolo Racioppi "Palazzo Barberini, The Triumph of Divine Providence ceiling fresco" in "Discover Baroque Art", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://baroqueart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;BAR;it;Mon11;18;en

Prepared by: Pier Paolo RacioppiPier Paolo Racioppi

Laureato e specializzato in storia dell'arte presso l'Università di Roma “La Sapienza” sta conseguendo il dottorato di ricerca in Storia e conservazione dell'oggetto d'arte e d'architettura presso l'Università di Roma TRE. Ha svolto attività seminariali presso l'Istituto di Storia dell'Arte all'Università La Sapienza di Roma e attualmente è docente di storia dell'arte del Rinascimento presso la IES at Luiss (Roma).
Ha pubblicato diversi contributi sulla tutela artistica, il collezionismo e le accademie d'arte, ed ha collaborato al Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani dell'Enciclopedia Treccani.
Copyedited by: Janice MedinaJanice Medina

Janice Medina is an artist and educator based in Upstate New York. She studied interior design at Syracuse University and obtained her M.S. in Building Conservation in 2008 (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) and Master of Fine Arts in 2019 (University at Albany).

Janice is a former participant in the US/ICOMOS International Exchange Program and she has taught courses in the history of design and historic preservation. Her artwork is influenced by her experiences in historic preservation, as well as by building materials and the natural environment.

Janice has participated as a copy-editor with Museum With No Frontiers since 2019. In this role she has had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects including Discover Islamic Art, Discover Baroque Art and Discover Glass Art.
Translation by: Lavinia Amenduni

MWNF Working Number: IT1 18