tabernacle at Via di Montughi

i Tabernacoli di Firenze

Via dI MONTUGHI, 61

THE TABERNACOLO

Tabernacolo

On the wall of the villa's enclosure, just a few meters from the entrance gate to its garden, you can find the stone and masonry tabernacle containing a sculpture depicting the Madonna with the Child. Crafted in painted plaster to resemble terracotta, it was placed inside the niche on April 23, 2002. The tabernacle had been empty following the renovation of the gate and park access.

Villa Ruspoli

One of the most beautiful villas on the Montughi hills, this property has been owned by the wealthy de' Minerbetti family since the second half of the 14th century. This family had their residences in Vigna Nuova and later acquired the Palagio de' Bombeni in Santa Trinità. In 1441, Giovanni Minerbetti, a person well-regarded by Pope Eugenio IV, bequeathed the villa to the hospital of Santa Maria Nuova. However, in 1496, the villa was rented to Tommaso d'Andrea Minerbetti because the Minerbetti family did not want to part with this splendid countryside residence. Subsequently, Tommaso d'Andrea's successors repurchased the villa. Later on, the property came into the ownership of the Santini family from Lucca.

THE STREET

VIA MONTUGHI

Since the Middle Ages, the Montughi hill has been a place of leisure, populated by villas and palaces belonging to affluent Florentine families such as the Pazzi, the Strozzi, and the Davanzati. The name likely derives from the Ughi family's ownership of this small and tranquil uphill street between Via Bolognese and the Stibbert Museum. This street passes by elegant mansions rich in history and art, such as Villa Alberti, where the Pazzi conspiracy began within its walls, and Villa Guicciardini, where Pope Pius IX rested in 1857 before entering Florence. The setting, with its buildings, greenery, and tranquility, seems to offer an immediate journey back in time.

AUTHOR

Emanuele Terzani

The author is the sculptor Emanuele Terzani, who was also a teacher at the ceramic school of the Opera della Madonnina del Grappa. Terzani created various works, including terracotta bas-reliefs, glazed ceramics, and paintings on wood, for various properties owned by the Madonnina del Grappa, as well as for churches and cemeteries in Florence. In addition to this, he worked continuously for the Fonderia Artistica Benti in Pistoia, producing various sculptures for private residences and public places. Terzani participated in many group exhibitions and organized several solo exhibitions, including the first one at the Casa di Dante in 1980 and the last one in a private gallery in 2003.

ALTRE INFORMAZIONI

Informazioni

The tabernacle, after collapsing to the ground due to the fall of a tree, was restored and secured in March 2022 by the Fine Arts Service and the Palazzo Vecchio Workshop of the Municipality of Florence. In November of the same year, the Madonna was placed back inside. AMICI DEI MUSEI FIORENTINI ODV - COMITATO PER IL DECORO E IL RESTAURO DEI TABERNACOLI Scheda di Celia Donoso Clemente