Piacenza, Civic Museums reunite the Fasti of Elisabetta Farnese

An exhibition dedicated to Elisabeth Farnese (Parma, 1692 - Aranjuez, 1766), the last princess of Parma and Piacenza of the House of Farnese, and queen consort of Spain as the wife of Philip V: this is the one scheduled at the Civic Museums of Palazzo Farnese in Piacenza from December 2, 2023 to April 7, 2024. The exhibition, organized by the Civic Museums of Palazzo Farnese in Piacenza with the support of the Municipality of Piacenza and in collaboration with the publishing house Electa, is conceived and curated by art historians Antonella Gigli and Antonio Iommelli, is entitled I Fasti di Elisabetta Farnese. Portrait of a Queen and revolves around a nucleus of canvases, now known as the “Fasti di Elisabetta,” executed in the first half of the 18th century by court painter Ilario Mercanti known as lo Spolverini (Parma, 1657 - Piacenza, 1734).

For the first time, after nearly three hundred years since their migration to Naples (the city where Charles of Bourbon, son of Elisabetta Farnese and Philip V of Spain, transferred the Fasti and most of the artistic treasures that belonged to the Farnese family) six paintings, already part of the cycle, will be exhibited in Piacenza, extraordinarily granted on loan for four months by the Royal Palace of Caserta and the City of Parma.

Six important loans, then, which in addition to twenty other works, many from public and private collections, will allow the public to admire together, for the first time, the Fasti of Caserta and Parma, reunited for this occasion with those already present in Piacenza since 1928. It is an ambitious project that will also provide an understanding of the extraordinary greatness and culture of a singular woman like Elizabeth, whose ambition and intelligence were widely known and appreciated by all her contemporaries, especially King Philip V, her consort since 1714.

The exhibition, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Region of Emilia-Romagna and the City of Parma, will be staged in the Ducal Chapel of Piacenza’s Palazzo Farnese, an elegant exhibition venue that is well integrated into the noble Farnese residence, the latter of which was begun in the mid-sixteenth century by another great woman linked to the powerful dynasty, Margaret of Austria, daughter of Emperor Charles V and wife of Ottavio Farnese. Here, in addition to a series of portraits, a drawing and a number of engravings, will be displayed the Ragguaglio delle nozze della Maestà di Filippo Quinto e di Elisabetta Farnese, a highly detailed account, given to the presses in 1717, illustrating and describing the proxy marriage between Elisabeth and Philip V, as well as the celebrations paid to them by the court and the journey of the last descendant of the Farnese family from the small duchy of Parma and Piacenza to the great Kingdom of Spain. This narrative will, finally, be emphasized by the most modern extended reality solutions (video projections, immersive classrooms, holograms) that, through the reconstruction of narratives, places and environments, will help visitors to have an “augmented” experience and immerse themselves in the different contexts. The exhibition will also be accompanied by a catalog published by Electa.

Ilario Spolverini,

Ilario Spolverini

Ilario Spolverini

Ilario Spolverini

Ilario Spolverini

Piacenza, Civic Museums reunite the Fasti of Elisabetta Farnese

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