Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry
OR:
Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

The Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry (Fonderia Artistica Ferdinando Marinelli also known as FAFM) is one of the last remaining Florentine foundries, producing works in bronze utilizing the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
technique of
lost-wax Lost-wax casting (also called "investment casting", "precision casting", or ''cire perdue'' which has been adopted into English from the French, ) is the process by which a duplicate metal sculpture (often silver, gold, brass, or bronze) i ...
. A large number of bronze sculptures produced in
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
over the last century come from this artistic foundry. One of the most famous and popular works in Florence, the 'La Fontana del
Porcellino ''Il Porcellino'' (Italian "piglet") is the local Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar. The fountain figure was sculpted and cast by Baroque master Pietro Tacca (1577–1640) shortly before 1634, following a marble Italian copy ...
', was cast by the Marinelli Foundry in 1988 and replaced the antique in 1998. As early as 1929, Marinelli Foundry was present internationally. It produced the monumental sculpture ‘La Carretta dei Pioneri’ (‘The Pioneer’s Cart’) carved by the Uruguayan artist
José Belloni José Belloni (September 12, 1882 – November 28, 1965) was a Uruguayan sculptor of the Realist school. Biography José Belloni was born in Montevideo, in 1882; his father was Swiss from Ticino, and his mother Basque from Spain. His family ...
. It may still be seen today in Montevideo. In 1932, the panels of the immense
Bramante Staircase Bramante Staircase is the name given to two staircases in the Vatican Museums in the Vatican City State: the original stair, built in 1505, and a modern equivalent from 1932. The original staircase The original Bramante staircase, in the Pi ...
at the entrance of the Vatican Museums by
Antonio Maraini Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...
were cast. A more recent achievement is the ‘Warrior on horseback’ at the Macedonia Square in
Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and List of cities in North Macedonia by population, largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Sk ...
, North Macedonia, inaugurated in 2011 and the work of the sculptor Valentina Stevanovska.


History

The history of the Fonderia Artistica Ferdinando Marinelli begins in 1905 with the opening of a small shop on Florence’s Via de’ Giudei (today’s Via Ramaglianti) by Ferdinando Marinelli. Born in
Piegaro Piegaro is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 30 km southwest of Perugia. Piegaro borders the following municipalities: Città della Pieve, Marsciano, Montegabbione, Monteleone d ...
, in the Province of Perugia in 1887, he arrived as a teenager in Florence where he was apprenticed first to Cusmano Vignali’s foundry and subsequently to Gabellini’s, learning the techniques of both stirrup manufacturing as well as
lost-wax casting Lost-wax casting (also called "investment casting", "precision casting", or ''cire perdue'' which has been adopted into English from the French, ) is the process by which a duplicate metal sculpture (often silver, gold, brass, or bronze) i ...
. In 1915, he was employed by the Fonderia of Alessandro Biagiotti (Biagiotti’s nickname was ‘Brucino’). After
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Ferdinando took over the Gabellini foundry on Via del Romito (today’s Via Filippo Corridoni). During this period, the Marinelli Foundry produced several monuments which commemorate the fallen of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
; those on Piazza Dalmatia in Florence and Poggio a Caiano, (both by
Mario Moschi Mario Moschi (6 May 1896 – 26 May 1971) was an Italian sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimens ...
) as well as those at
Barberino Val d’Elsa Barberino Val d'Elsa is a ''frazione'' of Barberino Tavarnelle which was until December 2018 a sovereign ''comune'' (municipality). Barberino Val d'Elsa is located above the valley from which it takes its name. The centre of town is still ringed b ...
and Cerbaia, (works by
Odo Franceschi Odo or ODO may refer to: People * Odo, a given name; includes a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Franklin Odo (born 1939), Japanese-American historian * Seikichi Odo (1927–2002), Japanese karateka * Yuya Odo (born 1990), ...
). In 1925, the Foundry executed the monument to the painter
Giovanni Fattori Giovanni Fattori (September 6, 1825August 30, 1908) was an Italian artist, one of the leaders of the group known as the Macchiaioli. He was initially a painter of historical themes and military subjects. In his middle years, inspired by the Barbi ...
donated to the city of Livorno by Valmore Gemignani. Two years later, the Chamber of Commerce, Florence surveyed the artisan workshops in the Province and reported that: «The reputation of the Marinelli Foundry €¦rests on the perfection of its casting, employing an acid based varnish permitting the metal to be displayed without losing any of its glare, maintaining warm tonalities, those of natural bronze thereby creating works of art».M. Salvini, Le industrie artistiche nella provincia di Firenze, Firenze, 1927, p.109 In 1927, Fonderia Artistica Ferdinando Marinelli cast a sculptural group measuring in total 22 meters made by the Uruguayan
José Belloni José Belloni (September 12, 1882 – November 28, 1965) was a Uruguayan sculptor of the Realist school. Biography José Belloni was born in Montevideo, in 1882; his father was Swiss from Ticino, and his mother Basque from Spain. His family ...
for Montevideo, ‘La Carretta dei Pionieri’ (‘The Pioneer’s Cart’) commissioned by the Consul Gilberto Fraschetti. Marinelli Foundry received important commissions thanks to the esteem with which Ferdinando was held by the sculptor
Antonio Maraini Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...
. Maraini choose him as his caster when he received the commission from Pope Pius XI to execute the panels that decorate the newly built large staircase at the entrance to the Vatican Museums. The Foundry’s expansion continued and shortly prior to the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, industrial castings and metal refining were added to its traditional artistic activities and indeed remained an important part of its output until the end of the conflict. In 1945, Ferdinando Marinelli leaves the Foundry to his sons Aldo and Marino who carry on the artistic traditions. Upon Marino’s death, the company passes on to his son Ferdinando Jr. who maintains the ancient tradition of lost-wax casting. Marinelli Foundry remains to this day one of the last artistic workshops practicing this technique and a benchmark for Italian artisan excellence. In addition to important commissions received from foreign governments and private collectors, the Foundry produced on behalf of the City of
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
, a bronze posthumously of the ‘
Porcellino ''Il Porcellino'' (Italian "piglet") is the local Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar. The fountain figure was sculpted and cast by Baroque master Pietro Tacca (1577–1640) shortly before 1634, following a marble Italian copy ...
’ by
Pietro Tacca Pietro Tacca (16 September 1577 – 26 October 1640) was an Italian sculptor, who was the chief pupil and follower of Giambologna. Tacca began in a Mannerist style and worked in the Baroque style during his maturity. Biography Born in Ca ...
in the
Loggia del Mercato Nuovo The Loggia del Mercato Nuovo (), popularly known as the Loggia del Porcellino (), is a building in Florence, Italy. It is so called to distinguish it from the (; "old market") that used to be located in the area of today's Piazza della Repubbl ...
. The antique work was moved to the Museo Bardini in 2004. In addition, again for Florence, it executed posthumously of Giambologna's 'Bacchus' in Borgo San Jacopo (antique is, from 2006, in the
Bargello The Bargello, also known as the Palazzo del Bargello, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, or Palazzo del Popolo (Palace of the People), was a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy. Terminology The word ''bargello'' appears ...
Museum), and the ‘St. Matthew’ by
Lorenzo Ghiberti Lorenzo Ghiberti (, , ; 1378 – 1 December 1455), born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, a key figure in the Early Renaissance, best known as the creator of two sets of bronze doors of the Florence Baptister ...
for an external niche of the Church of
Orsanmichele Orsanmichele (; "Kitchen Garden of St. Michael", from the Tuscan contraction of the Italian word ''orto'') is a church in the Italian city of Florence. The building was constructed on the site of the kitchen garden of the monastery of San Mich ...
(antique in museum nearby).


Headquarters

The Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry remained in its historical headquarters in Via Corridoni until 2001 when new environmental regulations prohibiting the casting of bronze within Florence forced the company to build new headquarters in the town of
Barberino Val d’Elsa Barberino Val d'Elsa is a ''frazione'' of Barberino Tavarnelle which was until December 2018 a sovereign ''comune'' (municipality). Barberino Val d'Elsa is located above the valley from which it takes its name. The centre of town is still ringed b ...
. The new workshops were equipped with up to date furnaces and kilns however leaving all of the traditional production phases unaltered.


The collaboration with the Vatican City

As already mentioned, the esteem of
Antonio Maraini Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...
permitted the Marinelli Foundry to establish a working relationship with the
Vatican State Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...
. After casting the friezes of the monumental staircase entrance to the Vatican Museums, the Foundry produced the tomb and the death mask (the latter in silver) of Pope Pius XI commissioned to the artist Antonio Berti, and the ‘Porta Santa’ (
Holy Door A Holy Door ( la, Porta Sancta) is traditionally an entrance portal located within the Papal major basilicas in Rome. The doors are normally sealed by mortar and cement from the inside so that they cannot be opened. They are ceremoniously ope ...
) of St. Peter’s Basilica carved by Maestro
Vico Consorti Vico Consorti (1902–1979) was an Italian sculptor who built the bronze Holy Door in St. Peter's Basilica in 1950. In 1980, a year after his death, he received an award from the city of Grosseto for artistic merits. Biography Consorti was bo ...
. Such collaborations subsequently permitted Marinelli to receive additional commissions from churches in Rome. These include the central doors of the
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the large ...
, after the drawings of
Ludovico Pogliaghi Lodovico Pogliaghi (Milan, 1857 – S. Maria del Monte, Varese, 1950) was an Italian painter, sculptor and decorator. Biography Lodovico Pogliaghi was born to an upper middle class Milanese family. He was enrolled at the Brera Academy at a very ...
, and in 1951, the doors of Sant’Eugenio designed by the engineer Enrico Galeazzi. The collaboration has continued recently; it has produced the bronze handrail of the new large flight of stairs at the Vatican Museums inaugurated in 2000 by
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
.


The Diploma of Honor ('Diploma d'Onore') and the horse ''Sacrifice''

The ‘Diploma d’Onore’ was awarded to the Marinelli Foundry by the Italian Ministry of Trade and Industry in recognition for the casting of ''Sacrifice'' one of the four allegorical horses that decorate the
Arlington Memorial Bridge The Arlington Memorial Bridge is a Neoclassical masonry, steel, and stone arch bridge with a central bascule (or drawbridge) that crosses the Potomac River at Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. First proposed in 1886, the brid ...
of
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
The monument is the work of the American sculptor,
Leo Friedlander Leo Friedlander (July 6, 1888 – October 24, 1966) was an American sculptor, who has made several prominent works. Friedlander studied at the Art Students League in New York City, the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Brussels and Paris, and the America ...
. This project, conceived in the late twenties and delayed due to the Great Depression, was resumed in 1938 and only completed at the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. The monument was a gift of Ambassador Alberto Tarchiani on behalf of
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. Its inauguration took place on December 26, 1951.


The most important castings

A selection of the most important works and monuments executed by the Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry.


See also

*
Firenze 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 ...
*
Porcellino ''Il Porcellino'' (Italian "piglet") is the local Florentine nickname for the bronze fountain of a boar. The fountain figure was sculpted and cast by Baroque master Pietro Tacca (1577–1640) shortly before 1634, following a marble Italian copy ...
*
Pietro Bazzanti e Figlio Art Gallery The "workshop" of Pietro Bazzanti and Son is an historic landmark in Florence, art and culture heritage of the city. It took part in the role of "Fine Arts Trader" at the National Exposition of 1861 in Florence with several marble sculptures and ...


Notes


Bibliography

* * *General Information The Marinelli Foundry of Florence by John Spike http://begeeart.com/the-marinelli-foundry-of-florence/ Last visit 01/07/2014
https://web.archive.org/web/20140218210035/http://www.loveforitaly.it/simboli/siamo-andati-a-trovare-ferdinando-marinelli visited on 01/07/2014 *Associations e Foundations http://www.unioneimpresestoriche.com/associati_dett.asp?lingua=_ita&idlink=3&idass=41 , visited on 01/07/2014
http://www.fondazioneartigianato.it/fonderia-artistica-marinelli.html Fondazione Firenze Artigianato Artistico, visited on 01/07/2014 *The Statue 'Warriors on Horseback' http://www.unioneimpresestoriche.com/news_dett.asp?lingua=_ita&idnews=174&idlink=6 "A Skopje c'è un Alessandro Magno della Fonderia Artistica Marinelli", visited on 01/07/2014 http://it.peacereporter.net/articolo/29062/Macedonia,+posata+la+statua+di+Alessandro+Magno.+Polemiche+ad+Atene Visited on 12/30/2013
http://www.eastjournal.net/macedonia-cosa-resta-di-alessandro-il-grande-la-statua-che-fa-arrabbiare-atene/8370 Visited on 01/07/2014
http://www.ilgiornaledelfriuli.net/cron/skopje-svetta-la-statua-di-alessandro-magno-a-cavalloil-monumento-e-stato-realizzato-dalla-fonderia-artistica-ferdinando-marinelli-di-firenze-per-53-milioni-di-euro Visited on 01/07/2014
http://cavallomagazine.quotidiano.net/cavallomagazine/2011/06/21/528950-alessandro_bucefalo.shtml Visited on 01/07/2014
http://www.tuttosport.com/attualita/esteri/2011/06/21-131347/Macedonia%3A+mega-statua+Alessandro+Magno Visited on 01/07/2014
http://www.blitzquotidiano.it/cronaca-italia/macedonia-la-statua-di-alessandro-magno-in-piazza-skopje-896075/ Visited on 01/07/2014
http://www.ilquotidianoitaliano.it/gallerie/2011/06/news/macedonia-mega-monumento-ad-alessandro-magno-94976.html/ Visited on 01/07/2014
https://web.archive.org/web/20140221213953/http://www.ilnuovo.it/articolo-20110621-Macedonia%3A_mega-statua_Alessandro_Magno.php Visited on 01/07/2014 *Restoration of the Replica of 'Porcellino' http://press.comune.fi.it/hcm/hcm5353-11_89-Porcellino,+torna+a+splendere+il+bronzo+alla+Loggi.html?cm_id_details=59283&id_padre=47009 Porcellino, torna a splendere il bronzo alla Loggia del Mercato nuovo, consulted on 01/07/2014
http://www.sassarinotizie.com/24ore-articolo-55845-firenze__porcellino__della_loggia_del_mercato_nuovo_e__tornato_a_splendere.aspx Consulted on 01/07/2014
http://corrierefiorentino.corriere.it/firenze/notizie/arte_e_cultura/2011/18-ottobre-2011/porcellino-come-nuovo-tutti-sfregare-1901864171499.shtml Consulted on 01/07/2014 *Replica of Michelangelo's 'Bruges Madonna' https://web.archive.org/web/20140107210226/http://michelangelosmadonna.com/bruges/Rassegna_stampa_HR_web.pdf Consulted on 01/07/2014
http://www.chiesacattolica.it/cci_new_v3/allegati/7636/b292810ago1.pdf Rivive il bronzo 'perduto' di Michelangelo, visited on 01/07/2014
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/michelangelos-bruges-madonna-graces-dc-basilica-70271322.html Visited on 01/07/2014
http://www.zoomedia.it/Firenze/eventi/casa_buonarroti/madonna_di_bruges/index.html Visited on 01/07/2014
http://www.catholicherald.com/stories/Michelangelos-Mother-of-God,12081 Visited on 01/07/2014
Knights Columbus Museum http://www.kofcmuseum.org/km/en/exhibits/2010/michelangelo/ Visited on 01/07/2014 *Exhibitions Bronzi di Toscana di Piero Bertelli http://www.consiglio.regione.toscana.it/upload/crt/eventi/M/titolo_993.pdf Consulted on 01/07/2014
Bronzi di Toscana di Piero Bertelli https://web.archive.org/web/20140107210517/http://www.firenzeonline.com/news/ultim-ora/mostre-lamore-di-piero-bertelli-per-la-forma.html Visited on 01/07/2014
Bronzi di Toscana di Piero Bertelli http://archivio.gonews.it/articolo_219987_Per-Piero-Bertelli-da-Montelupo-una-mostra-in-consiglio-regionale.html Visited on 01/07/2014
Di Bronzo e di Fuoco https://web.archive.org/web/20140107205124/http://www.agenziaaise.it/cultura/istitaliani-di-cultura/156209-qdi-bronzo-e-di-fuocoq-le-sculture-della-fonderia-marinelli-in-trasferta-a-los-angeles.html Consulted on 01/07/2014
Bronzi per Michelangelo https://web.archive.org/web/20140107204023/http://www.fashiondesignlab.com/02/bronzi_michelangelo_a_casa_buonarroti.asp Consulted on 01/07/2014
Bronzi per Michelangelo http://www.repubblica.it/speciali/arte/recensioni/2010/12/10/news/michelangelo_replicato_in_bronzo_una_favolosa_tourne_negli_usa-10046363/ Visited on 01/07/2014
Bronzi per Michelangelo http://www.casabuonarroti.it/it/2010/11/10/bronzi-per-michelangelo/ Consulted on 01/07/2014
Bronzi per Michelangelo http://www.exibart.com/profilo/eventiV2.asp?idelemento=97962 Consulted on 01/07/2014
Monumental Sculpture from Renaissance Florence: Ghiberti, Nanni di Banco and Verrocchio at Orsanmichele http://www.opificiodellepietredure.it/index.php?it/522/mostre Consulted on 01/07/2014
Pietà di Michelangelo a Casa Buonarroti http://www.lanazione.it/firenze/2007/04/10/4255-casa_buonarroti.shtml Visited on 01/07/2014
Pietà di Michelangelo a Casa Buonarroti http://www.artearti.net/magazine/articolo/La_replica_della_Pieta Visited on 01/07/2014
Giuseppe negli arazzi di Pontormo e Bronzino http://www.quirinale.it/qrnw/statico/artecultura/mostre/2010_Giuseppe/immagini-htm/battistero.htm Visited on 01/07/2014
Pietà di Michelangelo a Wally Findlay Galleries http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/entertainment/arts-theater/pieta-replica-centerpiece-of-wally-findlays-madonn/nMFDb/ Visited on 01/07/2014
Pietà di Michelangelo a St. Patrick's Old Cathedral NY

Visited on 01/07/2014


External links


Articolo di pacereporter del 21/06/2011
{{Authority control Foundries Metal companies of Italy Companies based in Florence Italian companies established in 1822 Manufacturing companies established in 1822