The Treasure of Imperial Maccagno
Inauguration 10 December 2022 at 5.30pm
Until April 10, 2023
The exhibition illustrates the fascinating history of the Imperial Feud of Maccagno Inferiore ('royal court and land of its own' at least since the first decades of the 13th century) with a double homage: On the one hand paying tribute to its outstanding heritage, and on the other hand celebrating the 400th anniversary of the famous Imperial Mint founded in 1622.
The exhibition of coins minted in Maccagno has been realised in cooperation with Numismatica Varesina with a scientific contribution by Luca Gianazza and is accompanied by documents from public, private and ecclesiastic collections - some of them never published - on the town's noble history. These include an elaborate imperial diploma of 1637 from the Diocesan Historical Archive in Como. The document confirms the imperial vicariate and the right to mint coins, which was granted by Ferdinand III to Giacomo Mandelli whose family ruled the destiny of the feud for centuries. Also presented is a handwritten copy of the municipal statutes of 1569, a recent, fortunate addition to the municipal collection of Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca. The following section shows a series of images, including ancient photographs and paintings that have never been presented to the public (of particular interest is Carlo Bossoli, Il Lago Maggiore da Maccagno Inferiore, 1867, courtesy Galleria Aversa, Turin) for a depiction of the urban features of the town, which has preserved its original medieval character.
The introducing section, dedicated to the heritage of art and faith in Maccagno Inferiore, is focused on the restoration of a precious altarpiece from the parish church of S. Stefano, of which trace had been lost.
The canvas, a large Immaculate Conception dated 1729, can be attributed to the hand of an important painter from Varese: Pietro Antonio Magatti (1691-1767). Equally important is the chain of events that led to the restoration of the painting. Providentially recovered during the Census of ecclesiastical cultural Heritage in the parishes of Maccagno (CEI national census), it was mentioned by the Diocese of Milan and then restored by Valentina Fontana and dott.ssa Maria Rita Sampietro thanks to funds from the Ministry of Culture, Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Como, Lecco, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese. In addition to the painting, a meticulous selection of works from the parish heritage well documents both the wealth of Imperial Maccagno in the years of monetary production (until the last two decades of the 17th century) and the impact that the arrival of the Immaculate Conception had on art and society of the town during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Thank you:
Ministero della Cultura
Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio
per le province di Como, Lecco, Monza-Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio e Varese
Archivio storico diocesano di Como
Diocesi di Milano, Ufficio Beni Culturali
Galleria Aversa, Torino
Numismatica Varesina, Varese
Unità Pastorale Maccagno e valli
Exhibition itinerary
00 - The Treasure of Imperial Maccagno
01 - The Immaculate Conception: the rediscovery of a painting that had been lost for sixty years
02 - The Restoration of Immaculate Conception
03 - A Great Painter Pietro Antonio Magatti
05 - True and false certificates for a true privilege
06 - The mint, the building and the mint-makers
07 - Genuine coins, false coins
Poster (click to enlarge)
