Il lampadario di Cortona

Italian edition only

The chandelier held by the Museo dell’Academia Etrusca in Cortona isone of the most renowned  Etruscan masterpieces.  Considered one of the finest examples of ancient bronze-work, itweighs more than a half a ton. The only Etruscan chandelier to have been found intact, it entered the collections of the museum after being discovered by chance and following complex negotiations for its acquisition. Today experts seem to agree that the monumental  lamp with 16 lips was made in a workshop located in the hinterland of central-southern Etruria, between Arezzo and Orvieto. An area that in the 4th century BCE was well equipped for a production of this kind, as indicated by the other large bronzes known to have originated there.
The complex iconography, the remarkable quality of the casting technique, and the precious material, enable us to exclude the possibility of such a valuable artefact’s being installed in a private property. The most plausible hypothesis is that it was destined for a public sanctuary, where it would have been able to perform its function  uninterruptedly to great effect.

The volume includes essays on the theme of lighting in the Etruscan world, antiquarian history, and the creation and analysis of the decorative apparatus of the chandelier. These are complemented by a selection of letters and documents taken from Nuove letture del lampadario etrusco (1988) and a new introductory essay by Paolo Bruschetti and Giulio Paolucci, written especially for the exhibition at the Fondazione Luigi Rovati Art Museum.