In this website you’ll find information about Osteno. The village of Claino con Osteno is in the area of Como, on Lugano lake (link Googlemap). If you want to contact the authors write to info@osteno.it
The mistery of the funerary plaque
There are two funerary plaques in the façade of Curch of Santissimi Pietro and Paolo in Osteno, Bregno’s birthplace. One cut in peperino records the death of an infant named Giulio. No last name is provided for the infant, and the plaque is not dated, but the inscription is among the best examples of Roman capitals from the Quattrocento.
"SIC CITO CRVDELE RVPISTIS STAMINA PARCAE / IVLIVS HIC LACTENS AT QVE INFANS LAVREA DORMIT / HI COELO IVNCTI LETANTVR CORPORA QVAMQVAM / GERMANA HOC SACRO CONDVNTVR TECTA SEPVLCRO / QVOD PIA PRO DONO CONFECIT IVLIA MATER"
The letters are outstanding in their design, and their cutting is deep and clean. In addition the letters are unusually small (14 mm), a further indication of great cutting skill. Given the style of the letters, the quality of their cutting and the type of stone, it is clear that the inscription was not made locally, but must have been done somewhere else, and transported to Osteno. The connection between Bregno and the church, in which are his little tabernacle and the large Madonna and child that is attributed to him, suggests that his workshop did the carving, while the individual characteristics of the letters indicate that Sanvito was responsible for the design. Based on the style of the letters, the inscription was carved sometime between 1477 and 1490. the connection between bregno and the infant Giulio (or his mother Giulia, also mentioned in the inscription) must have been personally important for the sculptor to not only have taken on this modest commission, but also to have involved both Bregno and his best letter cutter. Only further research into the diocesan archives of Pieve di Prolezza now in Milan will help us solve the mystery of this plaque.
There are two funerary plaques in the façade of Curch of Santissimi Pietro and Paolo in Osteno, Bregno’s birthplace. One cut in peperino records the death of an infant named Giulio. No last name is provided for the infant, and the plaque is not dated, but the inscription is among the best examples of Roman capitals from the Quattrocento.
"SIC CITO CRVDELE RVPISTIS STAMINA PARCAE / IVLIVS HIC LACTENS AT QVE INFANS LAVREA DORMIT / HI COELO IVNCTI LETANTVR CORPORA QVAMQVAM / GERMANA HOC SACRO CONDVNTVR TECTA SEPVLCRO / QVOD PIA PRO DONO CONFECIT IVLIA MATER"
The letters are outstanding in their design, and their cutting is deep and clean. In addition the letters are unusually small (14 mm), a further indication of great cutting skill. Given the style of the letters, the quality of their cutting and the type of stone, it is clear that the inscription was not made locally, but must have been done somewhere else, and transported to Osteno. The connection between Bregno and the church, in which are his little tabernacle and the large Madonna and child that is attributed to him, suggests that his workshop did the carving, while the individual characteristics of the letters indicate that Sanvito was responsible for the design. Based on the style of the letters, the inscription was carved sometime between 1477 and 1490. the connection between bregno and the infant Giulio (or his mother Giulia, also mentioned in the inscription) must have been personally important for the sculptor to not only have taken on this modest commission, but also to have involved both Bregno and his best letter cutter. Only further research into the diocesan archives of Pieve di Prolezza now in Milan will help us solve the mystery of this plaque.
Quoted from: Starleen K. Meyer e Paul Shaw Towards a New Understanding of the Revival of Roman Capitals and the Achievement of Andrea Bregno, in “Andrea Bregno” AA.VV. M&M editore, Firenze 2008, pages 303-304.
 |
 |
click to zoom