Artistic patronage of the Neapolitan Angevin dynasty
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The Artistic Patronage of the Neapolitan Angevin dynasty includes the creation of sculpture, architecture and paintings during the reigns of Charles I, Charles II and Robert of Anjou in the south of Italy. In 1266, Charles of Anjou established the
Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...
Angevin dynasty, a royal dynasty that ruled Naples until 1435. Upon taking the crown, Charles of Anjou (now Charles I) hoped to solidify his rule by commissioning great works of art for public display. Recognizing art's potential as a political tool, Charles invited artists from France and Italy to join him at his court in Naples. Subsequent kings of Naples would also employ art as a means of validating their dynastic claims. This forged a tradition of artistic
patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
in which the Royal Court of Naples functioned as an important artistic center, drawing artists and architects from throughout France and Italy. From their impressive artistic and architectural programs, emerged a Neapolitan variation of the French Gothic style that became increasingly dominated by Italian artistic developments. Artists such as
Arnolfo di Cambio Arnolfo di Cambio (c. 1240 – 1300/1310) was an Italian architect and sculptor. He designed Florence Cathedral and the sixth city wall around Florence (1284–1333), while his most important surviving work as a sculptor is the tomb of Cardin ...
, Pietro Cavallini, and Simone Martini created works for the Angevin kings of Naples, contributing to the kingdom's wealth of artistic riches.


Charles I of Anjou


Sculpture

Tuscan sculptor
Arnolfo di Cambio Arnolfo di Cambio (c. 1240 – 1300/1310) was an Italian architect and sculptor. He designed Florence Cathedral and the sixth city wall around Florence (1284–1333), while his most important surviving work as a sculptor is the tomb of Cardin ...
entered the service of Charles I in 1277. Prior to arriving in Rome, Arnolfo di Cambio had worked on the
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
for the Siena Cathedral as part of the workshop of Nicola Pisano, which was completed in 1268. Arnolfo di Cambio completed a marble statue of the Charles I now housed in the Musei Capitolini. One of the first portrait statues since
antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...
, the statue of Charles I helped set the precedent for royal portrait sculpture in the Renaissance. While the exact location of its original placement is not known, it would be fair to assume that it stood in a monumental setting where it could be admired by the King's subjects. The sculpture shows the king sitting stoically with a royal scepter in his right hand and a jeweled crown upon his head. In addition to this medieval iconography, however, King Charles's royal robes and lion headed curule seat have been borrowed from Roman sculpture. Arnolfo di Cambio portrayed this medieval Neapolitan King as an authoritative Roman Emperor, but has also succeeded in maintaining the individual likeness of his royal patron.


Architecture

As the founder of a new royal dynasty, Charles I needed to build a royal residence that could function as the seat of his government. He commissioned architect Pietro de Caulis to design the
Castel Nuovo Castel Nuovo (; "New Castle"), often called Maschio Angioino (; "Angevin Keep"), is a medieval castle located in front of Piazza Municipio and the city hall ( Palazzo San Giacomo) in central Naples, Campania, Italy. Its scenic location and impo ...
(1279–87), which was to serve as the residence of the kings and queens of Naples. Charles I provided funding for the rebuilding of the Franciscan church of San Lorenzo Maggiore, an early example of the Neapolitan adaptation of the French Gothic style. While the tracery designs at San Lorenzo Maggiore were inspired by the French Gothic church of Saint Denis, its “cavernous nave and its unarticulated walls” show the influence of Italian Franciscan churches.Paoletti and Radke, Art in Renaissance Italy, 128.


Charles II of Anjou


Architecture

During the reign of
Charles II of Anjou Charles II, also known as Charles the Lame (french: Charles le Boiteux; it, Carlo lo Zoppo; 1254 – 5 May 1309), was King of Naples, Count of Provence and Forcalquier (1285–1309), Prince of Achaea (1285–1289), and Count of Anjou and Maine ( ...
(1285-1308), the second Angevin King of Naples, the king's wife, Mary of Hungary, Queen of Naples, was responsible for initiating a number of architectural projects. The most important of these projects was the rebuilding of the Clarissan convent of
Santa Maria Donna Regina Vecchia Santa Donna Regina Vecchia is a church in Naples, in southern Italy. It is called ''Vecchia'' ("old") to distinguish it from the newer and adjacent church of Santa Maria Donna Regina Nuova. The earliest mention of a church on this site is from t ...
, after an earthquake destroyed the original convent in 1293. In 1307, Queen Mary donated funds to the abbess of the Clarissans for the construction of the new church. The Clarissans, or Poor Clares, were the female branch of the Franciscan Order, founded by
Saint Clare of Assisi Clare of Assisi (born Chiara Offreduccio and sometimes spelled Clara, Clair, Claire, Sinclair; 16 July 1194 – 11 August 1253) was an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, ...
. The church comprises two levels; on the ground level is a dark, low-vaulted nave and above it is a choir supported on eight columns. The ground level was most likely for the congregation and the upper level reserved for the nuns.Fleck, “ 'Blessed the Eyes that See Those Things you See,’” 204 A polygonal apse with
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
lancet windows illuminates the church, contrasting with the dark nave below. By commissioning Santa Maria Donna Regina, Mary of Hungary began a tradition of royal female patronage in the Kingdom of Naples. In 1283, Charles II funded the reconstruction of the Dominican church of San Domenico Maggiore, a church similar to his father's church of San Lorenzo Maggiore in its fusion of French Gothic and Italian stylistic elements.


Painting

In 1308, Roman painter Pietro Cavallini and a group of his pupils arrived at the royal court Naples. Cavallini and his students are believed to have been commissioned by Mary of Hungary to paint the
fresco Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
cycles located above the choir in the church of Santa Maria Donna Regina. The fresco cycles, completed between 1320 and 1323, cover all four of the church walls and include: the
Last judgment The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
on the west wall; pairs of prophets and apostles and the lives of
Saint Agnes Agnes of Rome () is a virgin martyr, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Churches. St. Agnes is one of several virgin martyrs com ...
and Saint Catherine on the south wall; pairs of prophets and apostles, the life of
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary (german: Heilige Elisabeth von Thüringen, hu, Árpád-házi Szent Erzsébet, sk, Svätá Alžbeta Uhorská; 7 July 1207 – 17 November 1231), also known as Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, or Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia, ...
, and the Passion of Christ on the north wall; an “angelic hierarchy” on the east wall. In 1308, Charles II commissioned Pietro Cavallini to paint a fresco cycle depicting three scenes from the life of
Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...
in the Brancaccio chapel at the Dominican church of San Domenico Maggiore. The painter Giotto worked at the royal court of Naples from 1328 until 1332, during which time he painted a number of panel paintings and frescoes. All of these works are unfortunately lost, but a work by one of his followers survives in the Brancaccio Chapel at the church of San Domenico Maggiore, a fresco of Noli Me Tangere from around 1310.


Robert of Anjou


Painting

Robert of Anjou was the third son of King Charles II and Mary of Hungary. Charles II's first son Charles Martel of Anjou had died by 1295, putting his second son Louis next in line for the throne. Louis, however, did not desire the crown of Naples, and would instead become bishop of the diocese of Toulouse in 1296. Louis and Charles II died in 1297 and in 1308 respectively, leading to Robert's coronation in 1309. By 1317, Louis, with the help of Robert's royal influence, was canonized as Saint Louis of Toulouse. The Neapolitan House of Anjou now possessed its own saint, which Robert of Anjou would use to his political advantage. It was around this year that the
Sienese Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
painter Simone Martini was commissioned, most likely by Robert of Anjou, to paint the Altarpiece of St Louis of Toulouse, now in the
Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte Museo di Capodimonte is an art museum located in the Palace of Capodimonte, a grand Bourbon palazzo in Naples, Italy. The museum is the prime repository of Neapolitan painting and decorative art, with several important works from other Italian ...
.Gardner, “Saint Louis of Toulouse,” 19. In this
altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...
, Saint Louis of Toulouse sits enthroned in his brown sackcloth and crimson jeweled cope, holding his
crozier A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholi ...
with his right hand and donning his bishop's mitre on his haloed head. Two angels hover over him, sustaining the crown of sainthood above his mitre.Gardner, “Saint Louis of Toulouse,” 22. As he receives the celestial crown, the Saint, with his left hand, offers the Neapolitan crown to his brother Robert of Anjou, shown in profile, who kneels before him. Despite the presence of
religious iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...
, the altarpiece's motives were more political than devotional. Robert of Anjou's nephew Caroberto, as the son of Charles II's first son Charles Martel, had a legitimate claim to the Neapolitan throne. Robert of Anjou sought to validate his royal ascension through Simone Martini's employment of both dynastic and religious iconography. Iconographic parallels can be identified between Simone Martini's figure of Saint Louis of Toulouse and Arnolfo di Cambio's figure of Charles of Anjou. Both figures are shown frontally and are seated on lion-shaped thrones; they wield objects of power and wear jeweled crowns. Saint Louis is represented more like a great king than a Franciscan saint, emphasizing the altarpiece's political function. Much of the altarpiece's dynastic political power was derived from its decorative iconography. The most prominent dynastic icon featured in the altarpiece is the
fleur-de-lys The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
, the symbol of the French monarchy. The Angevins of Naples had descended from the French House of Capet and thus utilized the fleur-de-lys as their royal emblem. The fleur-de-lys motif is punched into the traditional Sienese
gold ground Gold ground (both a noun and adjective) or gold-ground (adjective) is a term in art history for a style of images with all or most of the background in a solid gold colour. Historically, real gold leaf has normally been used, giving a luxurious ...
, forming a decorative border around Simone Martini's main panel.Hyman, Sienese Art, 50. The frame of the altarpiece is painted a deep blue and decorated with large gold fleurs-de-lys, modelled in deep relief. Below the frame is a predella in which Simone Martini painted five scenes from the life of Saint Louis of Toulouse. This would have proved challenging for Simone as Saint Louis had just been canonized, requiring him to invent a new set of iconography. These scenes function as both religious and dynastic icons by depicting the miracles of a saint from the Angevin dynasty. Two additional dynastic icons can be observed on the clasp of St Louis's cope: the red and yellow heraldic colors of Provence and the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.Paoletti and Radke, Art in Renaissance Italy, 132 By presenting these two territories, both claimed by the Angevins, Simone has revealed the extent of Robert of Anjou's political reach.


Architecture

Robert of Anjou and his wife
Sancha of Majorca Sancia of Majorca (c. 1281 – 28 July 1345), also known as Sancha, was Queen of Naples from 1309 until 1343 as the wife of Robert the Wise. She served as regent of Naples during the minority of her stepgrandaughter, Joanna I of Naples, from 1343 u ...
financed the construction of the Franciscan double convent of Santa Chiara (Naples). The monastic complex was begun in around 1310 by the architect Gagliardo Primario and was completed by the 1340s. The structure included two cloisters to separately house the Poor Clares and the Franciscan friars. The main church comprised a long nave with nine lateral chapels on each side and a friars’ choir at the far end by the main altar. A wall stood behind the friars’ choir, separating it from the nuns’ choir located on the other side. A long gallery, supported by the lateral chapels, stretched across the length of the church, above which was a row of
clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...
windows. The design of Santa Chiara alludes to the cathedrals of Provence and Catalonia. Santa Chiara's monumental scale surpassed that of all churches in the kingdom, turning this Franciscan convent into a display of Angevin royal power.


Sculpture

In order to further solidify his dynastic claims, Robert of Anjou initiated an ambitious campaign to erect funerary monuments for members of the Angevin dynasty. The tomb's structure inside of Santa Chiara was designed by architect Gagliardo Primario and the individual funerary monuments were erected by a number of different sculptors. Robert commissioned the Sienese sculptor
Tino di Camaino 300px, Tomb of Antonio d'Orso, in Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence.">Florence.html" ;"title="Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence">Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence. Tino di Camaino (c. 1280 – c. 1337) was an Italian sculptor. Born in Siena, the s ...
to create the funerary monument for his mother, Mary of Hungary. Tino di Camaino had arrived at the royal court of Naples in 1323 and worked for the Angevins for the last fourteen years of his life. Unlike the other funerary monuments commissioned by Robert, which were to be erected inside of the monastic complex of Santa Chiara, Mary of Hungary was to be placed inside of Santa Maria Donna Regina. Tino's sculptural monument for Mary consisted of a
sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...
decorated with seven niches, each one containing a sculpted figure of one of her seven sons. Featured most prominently in the central
niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...
is St. Louis of Toulouse. Robert sits to his right, affirming the king's celestial ties. In this representation of Robert, as in Simone Martini's painting, his dynastic legitimacy is emphasized. He sits majestically, wearing a crown and holding symbols of royal power. The chest of Mary's tomb is adorned with figures depicting the
four cardinal virtues The cardinal virtues are four virtues of mind and character in both classical philosophy and Christian theology. They are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They form a virtue theory of ethics. The term ''cardinal'' comes from the La ...
: Prudentia, Temperantia. Justitia, and Fortitudo. Robert of Anjou's tomb was created by Florentine sculptors Pacio and Giovanni Bertini, who had most likely trained with Tino di Camaino. For his monument, erected inside of Santa Chiara, Pacio and Giovanni Bertini represented Robert of Anjou in a relief at the center of the sarcophagus, in a recumbent
effigy An effigy is an often life-size sculptural representation of a specific person, or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certai ...
on the sarcophagus, and in a free-standing sculpture. In the free-standing sculpture, Robert is portrayed as an enthroned Roman ruler, much like in Arnolfo di Cambio's statue of his grandfather, Charles I. In the recumbent effigy, however, Robert is barefoot and wearing a friar's tunic, showing his devotion to the Franciscan order. In the relief at the center of the sarcophagus, Robert is depicted with members of his royal family, including his successor, his granddaughter Joan I of Naples.Paoletti and Radke, Art in Renaissance Italy, 134 With this funerary monument, Pacio and Giovanni Bertini successfully present an image of both royal and spiritual power, and secure the dynastic claims of future Angevins rulers.


See also

* Capetian House of Anjou * Italian Art * Trecento


Notes

{{Reflist, 30em


Bibliography

* Blondin, Jill Elizabeth. ''Pope Sixtus IV at Assisi: The Promotion of Papal Power.'' In Patronage and Dynasty: The Rise of the Della Rovere in Renaissance Italy, edited by Ian Verstegen, 19-36. Kirksville, Missouri: Truman State University Press, 2007. * Bruzelius, Caroline Astird. ''The Stones of Naples: Church building in Angevin Italy, 1266-1343''. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2004. * Elliott, Janis, and Cordelia Warr, eds. ''The Church of Santa Maria Donna Regina: Art, Iconography, and Patronage in Fourteenth Century Naples.'' Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing, 2004. * Fleck, Cathleen A. ''’Blessed the Eyes that See Those Things you See’: The Trecento Choir Frescoes at Santa Maria Donnaregina in Naples.'' Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte 67, no. 2 (2004): 201-24. * Frothingham, Arthur Lincoln. ''The monuments of Christian Rome from Constantine to the Renaissance''. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1908. * Gardner, Julian. ''Saint Louis of Toulouse, Robert of Anjou and Simone Martini.'' Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte 39, no. 1 (1976): 12-33. * Hyman, Timothy. ''Sienese Painting''. London: Thames and Hudson, 2003. * Kelly, Samantha. ''Religious patronage and royal propaganda in Angevin Naples: Santa Maria Donna Regina in context.'' In Elliott and Warr, The Church of Santa Maria Donna Regina, 27-44. * Paoletti, John T., and Gary M. Radke. ''Art in Renaissance Italy''. 3rd ed. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2005. * Schaus, Margaret, ed. ''Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia''. New York: Routledge, 2006. * Scotti, Suzette Denise. ''Simone Martini’s St. Louis of Toulouse and its Cultural Context.'' Master's thesis, Louisiana State University, 2009. * Williamson, Paul. ''Gothic Sculpture, 1140-1300''. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1998. Italian art House of Anjou-Naples Neapolitan Angevin