{"id":3645,"date":"2023-06-09T00:54:18","date_gmt":"2023-06-09T00:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/the-renaissance-according-to-antonio-forcellino\/"},"modified":"2023-06-09T09:50:10","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T09:50:10","slug":"the-renaissance-according-to-antonio-forcellino","status":"publish","type":"amalfi_story","link":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/story\/the-renaissance-according-to-antonio-forcellino\/","title":{"rendered":"The Renaissance according to Antonio Forcellino"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Painter, architect, restorer, and writer. The Vietri Sul Mare artist shares with us how art elevates his spirit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 09th, 2023. By Vito Pinto<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n

\n

Antonio Forcellino<\/strong> is focused on applying a thin layer of blue and chrome yellow with his brushes on the council chamber walls of the Vietri Sul Mare<\/strong><\/a> municipality. \u201cDiscovering these frescos had been a real blessing. For me, it\u2019s the first time I feel like I\u2019m doing something for my kids, grandkids, and the generations that will come after,<\/i>\u201d he explains. \u201cI\u2019m also doing something important for the place where I grew up, making me even prouder.<\/i>\u201d Being a restorer requires a lot of patience. It asks you to listen to the voices of artists from the past that resonates in the artwork in front of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First steps<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Antonio Forcellino was born in Marina di Vietri <\/strong><\/a>in a house full of books where, he says, he got the first taste of what it would be his life. \u201cOur home was originally the house of a Bishop. It had paintings of blue skies with cherubs wearing flower garlands on the ceilings and pavements made of colorful tiles from Vietri. The house would overlook the Amalfi Coast sea, simply breathtaking<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing his life in Rome<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At seventeen years old, eager to discover the world, he decides to live far from his family and leave the places of his childhood behind. He chooses Rome, the eternal city, custodian of thousands of years of artworks. Here, in a town that welcomes everything without destroying anything, Antonio joins the youth movement of those years and learns about the Renaissance. He says: \u201cYes, it was an era of transformation\u2026not only about material things but also for humankind. During that time, they understood that they could go beyond. True in the arts, with Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raffaello, as well as in the political sense.  Most of all, consider the Borgias and their desire to push through<\/i>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Impressionists to Renaissance<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cesare Borgia<\/strong>, also known as Valentino, was the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI. Gone down in history as a reckless politician, ready to do anything to secure his power, Cesa-re is undoubtedly one of the most controversial characters of the Italian Renaissance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A period of time that young Antonio Forcellino studied with a strong passion, so much to become one of the highest experts on the topic. He started with an interest in the impressionist\u2019s paintings and then expanded to architecture studies since his family worked in the construction sector. \u201cI was first drawn to the coating techniques,<\/i>\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restoring<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

So, what started as an interest in the arts became a degree in architecture. But even after that, Forcellino\u2019s desire to go beyond remained. \u201cDuring the Renaissance period, an artist would study everything, from architecture to sculpture and painting. I believe this is the right way to proceed, and that\u2019s why I started with paintings, then I went towards architecture to come back to painting, focusing on restoring. I believe it\u2019s easier to solve a problem by approaching it from various angles.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michelangelo and Raffaello<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The restorer worked on the Moses sculpted by Michelangelo housed in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome; Pope Julius II commissioned it for his tomb. Thanks to Forcellino\u2019s work, it was possible to recover Michelangelo\u2019s signature on the Pope\u2019s statue. \u201cIt was an experience that allowed me to enter a very secluded world to the general public.<\/i>\u201d After that, he restored Raffaello Sanzio\u2019s fresco, “Sybils.\u201d Raffaello painted it between 1512 and 1514 as a commission for the banker Ambrogio Chigi to decorate the interior of Santa Maria della Pace in Rome.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"L'artista
Antonio Forcelino in his atelier. Photo Courtesy of Antonio Forcellino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three volumes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The artist treasures the past. He often dwells on the era he defined as the \u201cCentury of the Giants.\u201d In his head, crowned by grey hair, the lives, faces, and eccentricities of those three significant figures he particularly admires are always present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, three volumes take shape to narrate about those who \u201cwere the firsts to understand that their creativity had a value. Before them, the artwork would be valued based on the amount of gold present or the rarity of the raw materials. After them, the work had value because of the artist\u2019s genius<\/i>,\u201d Forcellino shares his thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In memory of Leonardo<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Forcellino decided to unfold Leonardo\u2019s life and artistic evolution, omo sanza lettere<\/i>, in his new book, Leonardo, Genio senza pace (Genius without Peace)<\/i>. Leonardo was a brilliant man who showed more interest in rationality than mystery, and regarding this aspect, we recall an anecdote. It referred to when the artist was commissioned to work on the painting \u201cThe Virgin of the Rocks.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, in the contract signed by Leonardo, the remuneration was around 200 \u201cscudi,\u201d and the artwork required to include golden leaves and other specific aspects. As we know now, Leonardo never included gold details, never followed the directives, and even asked to be paid double the amount. He knew he had created a masterpiece, and the commissioners agreed. His awareness is one of many aspects that have made him one of the unique characters of our history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relationship with the art<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In his artistic and historical journey, Forcellino also wrote \u201cVita inquieta<\/i>,\u201d the volume dedicated to Michelangelo. He wrote a book while restoring Moses and describes the artist as a man who \u201ccompletely devoted his life to art. Michelangelo became his art because he was committed to translating his ideas on the world and humankind into his artworks.\u201d<\/i> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antonio Forcellino also wrote \u201cVita Felice<\/i>\u201d on the life and artistic journey of Raffaello Sanzo da Ur-bino; he focused primarily on the artist’s ability to capture gracefulness and express it in the strokes with which he drew his Madonnas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three excellencies of knowledge<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Three volumes had a structure that resembled a historical novel and an art novel: stories about three great characters determined to take their destiny into their own hands and have control over it.  The novelist also writes about the political turmoils in those eras in Rome and Milan, Venice, Florence, Mantova, and Bologna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In these cities, the most potent players tried to have control over territories and artists. So in these books, it\u2019s also possible to read about Suleiman the Magnificent and his desire to conquer Europe, his love affair with the beautiful and lethal Roxane, or about Clement VII de\u2019 Medici and his political incompetence or even about Vittoria Colonna\u2019s mystical outbursts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This an exciting context in which to read about Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raffaello, three Italian excellencies who \u201chad the ambition and the drive to go beyond what other people considered as limits. Thanks to that, they were able to discover new worlds.<\/i>\u201d says Forcellino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing, a hand toward people<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In those pages, Forcellino\u2019s love for the Renaissance is everywhere. A love based on a deep, fundamental knowledge of the historical period. \u201cArt is the sublime coldness of the marble, the color coming alive after cleaning a fresco, the inspiration that brought those artworks to life<\/i>.\u201d He says, adding that art is also the silence that accompanies meditation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked how he would like to be remembered, Forcellino said, “I\u2019d like to be remembered as a writer because I feel it\u2019s what I am today. I realize that what I have done until now has led me to write, and I think this is the art form that makes me feel closer to people<\/i>\u201d. The ultimate metamorphosis of a man who has spent his life following art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Translation by Michela Pandolfi<\/i>)<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Painter, architect, restorer, and writer. The Vietri Sul Mare artist shares with us how art elevates his spirit. June 09th, 2023. By Vito Pinto Antonio Forcellino is focused on applying a thin layer of blue and chrome yellow with his brushes on the council chamber walls of the Vietri Sul Mare municipality. \u201cDiscovering these frescos had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":3636,"template":"","amalfi_type":[97,87,92],"amalfi_location":[],"class_list":["post-3645","amalfi_story","type-amalfi_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","amalfi_type-art-and-culture","amalfi_type-arte-e-cultura","amalfi_type-people"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Renaissance according to Antonio Forcellino - Authentic Amalfi Coast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Renaissance according to Antonio Forcellino - Authentic Amalfi Coast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Painter, architect, restorer, and writer. The Vietri Sul Mare artist shares with us how art elevates his spirit. June 09th, 2023. By Vito Pinto Antonio Forcellino is focused on applying a thin layer of blue and chrome yellow with his brushes on the council chamber walls of the Vietri Sul Mare municipality. \u201cDiscovering these frescos had […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Authentic Amalfi Coast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/authenticamalficoast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-09T09:50:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Il-Rinascimento-secondo-Antonio-Forcellino_1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AuthenticAmalfi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/\",\"name\":\"The Renaissance according to Antonio Forcellino - Authentic Amalfi Coast\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Il-Rinascimento-secondo-Antonio-Forcellino_1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-09T00:54:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-09T09:50:10+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Il-Rinascimento-secondo-Antonio-Forcellino_1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Il-Rinascimento-secondo-Antonio-Forcellino_1.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":853,\"caption\":\"Photo Courtesy of Antonio Forcellino\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Stories\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/le-storie\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The Renaissance according to Antonio Forcellino\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/\",\"name\":\"Authentic Amalfi Coast\",\"description\":\"Raccontiamo i luoghi, le storie e molto altro della Costa d'Amalfi\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Authentic Amalfi Coast\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AUTHENTIC_AMALFI_COAST-Logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AUTHENTIC_AMALFI_COAST-Logo.png\",\"width\":2366,\"height\":798,\"caption\":\"Authentic Amalfi Coast\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/authenticamalficoast\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/AuthenticAmalfi\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@authenticamalficoast7453\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/authenticamalficoast\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Renaissance according to Antonio Forcellino - Authentic Amalfi Coast","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Renaissance according to Antonio Forcellino - Authentic Amalfi Coast","og_description":"Painter, architect, restorer, and writer. The Vietri Sul Mare artist shares with us how art elevates his spirit. June 09th, 2023. By Vito Pinto Antonio Forcellino is focused on applying a thin layer of blue and chrome yellow with his brushes on the council chamber walls of the Vietri Sul Mare municipality. \u201cDiscovering these frescos had […]","og_url":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/","og_site_name":"Authentic Amalfi Coast","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/authenticamalficoast","article_modified_time":"2023-06-09T09:50:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":853,"url":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Il-Rinascimento-secondo-Antonio-Forcellino_1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@AuthenticAmalfi","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/","url":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/","name":"The Renaissance according to Antonio Forcellino - Authentic Amalfi Coast","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Il-Rinascimento-secondo-Antonio-Forcellino_1.jpg","datePublished":"2023-06-09T00:54:18+00:00","dateModified":"2023-06-09T09:50:10+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Il-Rinascimento-secondo-Antonio-Forcellino_1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Il-Rinascimento-secondo-Antonio-Forcellino_1.jpg","width":1280,"height":853,"caption":"Photo Courtesy of Antonio Forcellino"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/story\/il-rinascimento-secondo-antonio-forcellino\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Stories","item":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/le-storie\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Renaissance according to Antonio Forcellino"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/","name":"Authentic Amalfi Coast","description":"Raccontiamo i luoghi, le storie e molto altro della Costa d'Amalfi","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#organization","name":"Authentic Amalfi Coast","url":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AUTHENTIC_AMALFI_COAST-Logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/AUTHENTIC_AMALFI_COAST-Logo.png","width":2366,"height":798,"caption":"Authentic Amalfi Coast"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/authenticamalficoast","https:\/\/x.com\/AuthenticAmalfi","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@authenticamalficoast7453","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/authenticamalficoast\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amalfi_story\/3645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amalfi_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/amalfi_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amalfi_story\/3645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5701,"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amalfi_story\/3645\/revisions\/5701"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"amalfi_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amalfi_type?post=3645"},{"taxonomy":"amalfi_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/authenticamalficoast.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/amalfi_location?post=3645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}