Gaspare Vigarani and his son Carlo were two illustrious artists of the 17th century who achieved prominence both in Italy, their native country, and in France, during the most brilliant period of the reign of Louis XIV. The two members of this family offer a remarkable example of the creative continuity in Europe in the field of shows and festivities, while making a significant contribution to one of the most prestigious periods in the cultural history of this continent.

But the name Vigarani has been rather forgotten since the 17th century. The few monuments left by them in Italy are not often visited, and in France the famous Machines Room of the Tuileries palace is no longer there to show the splendour and pomp of the former monarchy. But in spite of so much destruction, precious remains, plans and other graphic works, documents from archives and contemporary publications, some of them very rare, have survived and deserve to be studied. This book is based on the lectures given during the international symposium that was held in Reggio Emilia in Italy and in Versailles in France in June 2005. It covers the remaining secular and religious buildings (Villa Clotilde in Fiorano, churches in Modena and Reggio), the stage designs and machinery used in the shows, theatre architecture and the festivities organised in Italy and Versailles. Without claiming to be exhaustive on this vast subject, the series of studies collected here fill a gap in the research devoted to the artistic links between the two countries in the 17th century.

352 pages
Edition: Silvana Editoriale
Author : Walter Baricchi, Jérôme De La Gorce
Dimensions: 17x24 cm
Language: bilingual italian and french
ISBN : 9788836612789