Marino Marini (1901–1980) was one of the most important Italian artists of the twentieth century, especially as a sculptor. He was born in

Pistoia Pistoia (, is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of a province of the same name, located about west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno. It is a typi ...

, but he studied art in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, before moving to Monza as a teacher and finally arriving at the prestigious

Academy of Fine Arts of Brera The Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera ("academy of fine arts of Brera"), also known as the or Brera Academy, is a state-run tertiary public academy of fine arts in Milan, Italy. It shares its history, and its main building, with the Pinacoteca di ...

in Milan. The museum houses the second-largest collection of his works, after collection dedicated to him in his hometown. The Marino Marini Museum is housed in the ancient church of San Pancrazio. The church was transformed in the 1980s by architects Lorenzo Papi and

Bruno Sacchi Bruno Sacchi (1 January 1931, Mantua - 27 January 2011, Florence) was an Italian architect and collaborator of Giovanni Michelucci. He is known for his work on the Museo Marino Marini at the former church of San Pancrazio in Florence, the Museo Ma ...

, who renovated the building in line with a "dynamic" reading of the work of sculptural Marini, creating a dialogue between historical and contemporary materials existing buildings. The building is as notable for its successful marriage of contemporary and ancient architecture as it is for its collection. Within the walls of the ex-church stands the Sacellum of the Holy Sepulchre also known as the Rucellai Sepulchre, which is still considered sacred. The interior of the

sacellum In ancient Roman religion, a ''sacellum'' is a small shrine. The word is a diminutive from ''sacrum'' (neuter of ''sacer'', "belonging to a god"). The numerous ''sacella'' of ancient Rome included both shrines maintained on private properties by fa ...

is composed of a single burial chamber containing a marble slab placed against the southern wall. The exterior is decorated with 30 different marble inlay intarsia set inside framed squares and are inspired by vegetation such as laurel and oak leaves or flowers, while some depict geometrical forms such as the eight or six-pointed star, designed by artist

Leon Battista Alberti Leon Battista Alberti (; 14 February 1404 – 25 April 1472) was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, priest, linguist, philosopher, and cryptographer; he epitomised the nature of those identified now as polymaths. H ...

(1401–1472). The Marino Marini sculptures are rugged and essential forms and among the most recurrent subjects the horse and rider, explored in a range of poses and moods, from fatigue, to danger, to

eroticism Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...

. Pomona—the traditional figure feminine rounded and often fraught symbol of fertility since the time of the Etruscans, is another recurring symbol.

References

External links

* *https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/marino-marini *http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/old-masters/alberti-leon-battista.htm *http://www.italy24.ilsole24ore.com/art/arts-and-leisure/2015-03-10/leon-battista-alberti-s-temple-florence-095505.php?uuid=ABroin6C *https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-museums/museum-marino-marini.html {{Authority control Museums in Florence