ROVIGO – The greats of our past are always to be felt close to and rediscovered. The Rovigo Renaissance shows itself in all its richness and liveliness through Francesco Xanto Avelli, ceramist excellent, which was celebrated on May 3 at the Urban Digital Center thanks to an event organized and promoted by Lions Club Rovigo Hostwith the patronage of the Municipality of Rovigo, Banca del Monte di Rovigo Foundation, Rovigo Cultura Foundation, Accademia dei Concordi, National Gallery of Marche, International Ceramics Museum in Faenza, Minimiteatri.
The event, offered to citizens and organized simultaneously by the Italian Cultural Institute in New York, officially opened the Maggio Rodigino events.
Dramatized reading “Hero and Leandro of Museo Grammatico”, edited by Letizia Piva and Paolo Rossi, actors of Minimiteatri, created the appropriate theme and atmosphere to understand the myth that inspired Avelli to paint the only dish present in Rovigo. It is a poem from the 5th century. to. C., which narrates the tragic love between the young Leander of the city of Abydos and the girl Hero, confined in a tower located on the opposite bank to Abydos.
Flavia Micol Andreasiteacher, journalist and art historian, with “At the tip of the brush and pen: Xanto Avelli from Rovigo majolica maker and writer”, explained the eclectic talents of Avelli, whose unmistakable style is linked to a vast literary culture, such that he produced some sonnets, evidently created in the contemporary fashion of Petrarchism. His texts trace a sort of human and intellectual diary, offering a way to better understand his biographical story.
The art historian and essayist Valentina Lapierre he presented “Ceramic production in Ferrara at the time of Xanto Avelli”, explaining the passion of the Este court for ceramists, who were chosen from among the most famous and generously paid. It was the wars that suspended the production of ceramics to make weapons: this is the probable reason for Avelli’s move from Ferrara.
Anna Cerboni Baiardiprofessor at the University of Urbino, spoke about “Xantho maiolicaro at the court of Urbino”. “His presence in the city can be attested – he said – since 1530, in an era marked by strong Raphaelitism and general artistic fervor. Avelli uses important designers and engravers as models, including Agostino Veneziano and Marcantonio Raimondi”.
At the opening, Fabio Finotti, president of the Italian Cultural Institute of New York, defined Avelli as the first world-famous designer, an eclectic artist who knew how to combine painting, poetry and craftsmanship to create objects for everyday use. He then broadcast a video that combined the beauties of Polesine with images of some of Avelli’s works.
Ruggero Zambon, president of the Lions Club Rovigo Hostguest of the Cultural Institute in New York, outlined an overview of the dissemination of Avelli’s works of art in Italy and around the world, underlining that every public or private body that has one or more examples derives prestige from them.
Words of pride were also expressed by Enrico Ferrarese, president of the Province, for whom “events like this make us even more proud to be from Polesine and the work on Avelli deserves to be relaunched as soon as possible”; from Elisabetta Lorenzetti, new president of the Polesine Development Foundation, enthusiastic about the Maggio Rodigino programme; from Pierluigi Bagatin, president of the Accademia dei Concordi, who recalled that “today there are around 400 plates by Avelli in public and private collections. The one that was recently purchased for Rovigo was paid around 100,000 euros.”
Isabella Sgarbi, Lions vice-president, underlined the value of the meeting, “a poetry of words and images”, made possible thanks to the meeting of prominent personalities and scholars.
They also brought a greeting and a certificate of esteem Giorgio Lazzarinipresident of the Banca del Monte di Rovigo Foundation, who in 2007 published the catalog of an exhibition on Avelli held in London and contributed to the purchase of the plate preserved at the Museum of the Great Rivers. Elena Busson, vice-president of the Rovigo Cultura Foundation, sent a message of gratitude for an event of such high cultural value for the city of Rovigo.
You can watch the event again on https://www.youtube.com/@italculturny.
