Italia Siena 7 Duomo The Piccolomini Library

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SIENA
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Allinterno del Duomo
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Adjoining the cathedral is the Piccolomini
library, housing precious illuminated choir books
and frescoes painted by the Umbrian Bernardino di
Betto, called Pinturicchio, probably based on
designs by Raphael. This was built in his honour
by his nephew Francesco Piccolomini - latterly
(very briefly) Pope Pius III - but was never, as
originally planned, filled with his books because
the family flogged them all off.
Bust of Pope Pius II (Aeneus Sylvius Piccolomini)
in the Sala delle Arti Liberali in the Vatican.
Attributed to Paolo di Taccone
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From a religious viewpoint Pope Pius II took care
of restoring several churches in Siena, either
when he was a cardinal or after his papal
election, but the main gift he made to Siena was
the canonization of St. Catherine.
In the recently restored Piccolomini Library
Pinturicchio's fresco cycle is a rare example of
a unified decoration of the early sixteenth
century. Well-suited to Pinturicchio's skills
and to a somewhat provincial Siena, his lyric
style fits comfortably into the medieval setting
of the Cathedral.
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The subject matter concerns incidents in the life
of Pius II, the Sienese pope and humanist, an
unusually complete program for someone neither a
saint nor a ruler
Enea Silvio Piccolomini Presents Frederick III to
Eleonora of Portugal
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Homage to Pope Eugenius IV in the Name of Emperor
Frederick III
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From a religious viewpoint Pope Pius II took care
of restoring several churches in Siena, either
when he was a cardinal or after his papal
election, but the main gift he made to Siena was
the canonization of St. Catherine.
The Canonization of Catherine of Siena by Pope
Pius II
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The source for the ten episodes from the life of
Pius II was Pius II's autobiography, the famous
Commentarii, written between 1462 and 1464. In
addition to being the official life story of a
pope, it is a fascinating political and
historical chronicle. The narratives are
illustrated with descriptive clarity, the figures
precisely drawn, the unatmospheric landscape
bright and sharply defined.
The Coronation of Pope Pius III, 1509, Entrance
to the Piccolomini Library
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Enea Piccolomini Leaves for the Council of Basel
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Pope Pius II at the Congress of Mantua
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Enea Piccolomini as an Ambassador to the Court of
James I of Scotland
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The donor of the library and its furnishings was
Francesco Todeschini (1439-1503) who wished to
create a monument to his family and a memorial to
his mother's brother Enea Silvio Piccolomini who
had served as Pope Pius II from 1458 to 1464.
In 1460 Pius II elevated Todeschini to the rank
of cardinal and permitted him to assume the
Piccolomini name and the family's coat of arms.
In 1503 Francesco succeeded Pope Alexander VI
as Pius III but his reign was brief, he died
twenty-six days later.
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Pope Pius II Arrives in Ancona
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Located in the northern aisle is the Piccolomini
Altar, which was started in 1481 by Andrea
Bregno. Between 1501-1504 Michelangelo created
the four lower statues, which depicted Saints
Gregory, Paul, Peter and Pius.
Enea Silvio is Elevated to Cardinal
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Aeneas Piccolomini is crowned poet laureate (with
a Laurel Wreath) by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick
III in 1442
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His main worry was the growing Muslim threat he
even thought to convert Sultan Mehmet II and he
wrote a letter to him in which, in return for his
conversion, he offered him the title of Roman
emperor (but it is generally thought the letter
was never sent). He then called on the Christian
kings to join efforts to retake Constantinople
from the Ottomans and was prepared to personally
lead this sort of crusade. To show he meant what
he was preaching in 1464 he went to Ancona, the
assembly point of the expedition, to vainly wait
for the arrivals of the troops and of the
Venetian fleet which should have carried them to
Greece.He passed away in mid August when he
realized his dream would never come true.
The Coronation of Enea Silvio Piccolomini as Pope
Pius II
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Pinturicchio, Self Portrait, detail from The
Annunciation, ca. 150001, fresco in the Baglioni
Chapel, Santa Maria Maggiore, Spello
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2011
Pictures Daniela Iacob Internet PresentationS
anda Foisoreanu
Sound Taizé Nada te turbe