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Searching for Europe: Piccolomini Library (01:43)
In the Libreria Piccolomini in the Cathedral of Siena in Italy, I was fascinated by 15th-century sheet music books decorated in clay and gold. These sheet music books are painted with flowers, animals, angels, religious figures... The colors are bright and gorgeous, and there is quite a sense of layering, which is ready to come out. They are the same as medieval manuscripts with gold and earth decorations, except that the folio is much larger. According to the official atlas of Siena Cathedral, some of the clay and gold decorations in these sheet music books were created by Italian artists Liberale da Verona and Girolamo da Cremona. In 1466, at the age of 20, Liberalé arrived in Siena, and two years later Girolamo also arrived in the central Italian town, where they were both involved in the painting of 29 books on chants and anthems, which were in charge of Pellegrino di Mariano. The two left in 1478 and 1474, respectively, after which the work was continued by other painters in Siena.
Piccolomini Library
The library displays sheet music books decorated with mud and gold
In Europe, the development of sheet music books is closely linked to churches. Charlemagne of the Frankish kingdom was the first to promote the development of sheet music books. In 800 AD, he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor and began conquest and unification, using the hymns and liturgies of the Church as a tool to encourage obedience. Some scholars believe that the earliest Western musical notation, in the form of Neumes, was marked on the words to be sung, which was created around the time of Charlemagne's coronation. But there are also those who believe that Guido (Guido d'Dalezo) of Arezzo influenced the music of the church. Guido is considered the inventor of modern musical notation (staves). He studied at the Monastery of Pembosa in Codigoro and wrote the book Discerning and Microscopic: An Anatomy of Music Theory. In the Middle Ages, sheet music books were so important to Christianity that most of the sheet music books in churches were ornately decorated and painted by famous artists. Such books are often expensive and rarely owned by individuals but by churches.
I saw that some of the sheet music books displayed in the Piccolomini Library were born in 1473, some in 1482... The delicate paintings and dynamic scores complement each other, completely subverting the stereotype of the dark Middle Ages. I can't help but imagine that more than 500 years ago, people gathered here to listen to the church choir sing hymns, and the members of the choir gazed together at the sheet music book on the golden shelf. Mysterious and ethereal music echoes in the church, and the beauty of color and music collide with adventure and rhythm, tugging at the heartstrings of believers.
Sheet music book decorated with mud and gold
The Piccolomini Library is known as one of the most beautiful libraries in Italy. Piccolomini is the name of a man who is very important in Siena. Enea Silvio Piccolomini was born on October 18, 1405 in the village of Cohinano, Tuscany, to Sienese noble parents, but at the time of his birth the family was in decline. Piccolomini first studied basic grammar with local priests, began studying literature and law at the University of Siena at the age of eighteen, and worked as a secretary to Cardinal Domenico Caprinica. Later, he served as mediator, reconciling the relationship between the German Emperor Frederick III and the Papal States, while assisting in arranging the emperor's marriage to Eleonora of Aragon and his coronation in Rome. In 1447, Piccolomini became bishop of the diocese of Trieste and in 1450 bishop of the diocese of Siena. Piccolomini was also very popular in Rome, becoming a cardinal in 1456 and later elected Pope Pius II. Piccolomini was also a scholar, writer and poet, writing love poems and classical comedies, as well as numerous didactic articles, biographies, oratories, and letters.
Located in the Cathedral of Siena, the Piccolomini Library was commissioned in 1492 by Cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, Archbishop of Siena and later Pope Piccolomini. The nephew created the library in honor of his uncle and to preserve his rich collection of manuscripts. The nephew did so inspired by the tradition of building libraries in French cathedrals and the grand inauguration of the Vatican Library by Pope Sixtus IV. His action also embodied the ideals of Renaissance religious leaders: to create an institution that was both a center of scholarship and a center of the arts.
Exterior of Siena Cathedral
Dome of Siena Cathedral
Unfortunately, my uncle's collection of books was lost (another version is that the books were never shipped to Siena). However, the library still attracts the world's attention. In addition to the sheet music book, another highlight of the Piccolomini Library is the frescoes inside the library and at the entrance of the library. Painted between 1503 and 1508, these frescoes were created by the famous Italian Renaissance painter Pinturicchio and members of his studio, and are masterpieces of the Renaissance. Pinturicchio was an assistant to Raphael's teacher Perugino and painted frescoes for six rooms in the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican's Borgia Residence. At that time, the young Raphael was also a member of the studio of Pinturicchio, participating in the painting of the frescoes of the Piccolomini Library.
Mural paintings on the ceiling inside the library
Mural paintings on the interior walls of the library
This set of narrative frescoes depicts important stages in the life of Pope Pius II, including Piccolomini's trip to Basel, Piccolomini's appointment as ambassador to the court of James I in Scotland, Frederick III putting on the laurels of Piccolomini, Piccolomini's tribute to Pope Eugene IV in the name of Emperor Frederick III, Piccolomini's elevation to cardinal, Piccolomini's coronation as Pope Pius II, and Piccolomini's canonization of Catherine of Siena as a saint. In the canonization of Catherine as a saint of Siena, it is recognized that the onlookers in red tights are Raphael and the red hat is Pinturicchio. Each scene has a paragraph of explanatory text in Latin. The ten murals are admirable mainly due to the creativity of Pinturicio, who injected an element of imagination into these boring and prosaic public events, making them vivid and beautiful. For example, in the fresco, through the glittering marble arches of the hall, one can catch a glimpse of the blue harbor crowded with ships and the sunny square with its magnificent palace, a pair of fat doves flying in the clear sky, and the hills overgrown with grass and full of rural atmosphere. Pinturicio's landscapes of Scotland are picturesque and poetic. These delightful details infect the audience. Moreover, these pictures always contain elegant youth, full of vitality and vitality.
The fresco above the entrance to the Piccolomini Library depicts Cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini becoming Pope Pius III. The fresco was commissioned by Pinturicchio to begin painting in 1504. Unfortunately, Pius III died on October 18, 1503, only 18 days in the papal office. That is, when Pius III died, the library he built for his uncle was not yet completed.
Mural paintings on the interior walls of the library
In the center of the library stands the marble statue of the Three Goddesses of Beauty, a Roman replica of the Greek original, purchased from Rome by Pius III. The statues were removed from the church sometime in the 19th century when Pope Pius IX mistook it for the church's sacristy and deemed it inappropriate to place statues of nude women here. Fortunately, at the suggestion of scholars and artists, the statues were returned to their original location and were permanently fixed in the library in 1972.
Statue of the three goddesses of Meihui
The Cathedral of Siena, where the Piccolomini Library is located, is a church that has both Romanesque and Gothic styles, and the stripes inside the church are impressive. Legend has it that these stripes originated from Senius and Aschius, the founders of the old town of Siena. Senius and Aschius were the sons of Remus, the founder of the city of Rome. After Remus was killed by his twin brother, Senius and Aschius had to flee Rome. They came to Siena on a black horse and a white horse, respectively, so black and white became the symbolic colors of Siena and the color of the coat of arms of the citizens of Siena.
Striped decoration inside the Cathedral of Siena
The Cathedral of Siena is a popular destination in the small town of Siena, where thousands of tourists come every day to the Cathedral of Siena, to the Bibliotha Piccolomini, to experience the artistic charm of the beautiful medieval sheet music books and frescoes.
Church libraries are not uncommon in Europe, and many were built in the Middle Ages. In 380 AD, Theodosius the Great and Gratian jointly issued the Edict of Thessalonica, declaring Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. Since then, religious institutions have built libraries that have become places for monks and nuns to study and pray. In this way, churches and libraries can complement each other, one for purifying the soul and the other for enlightening the mind. It is also fitting that Pius III uses the library to commemorate his uncle Pius II, who loves to read and write.
(Cui Ying: Journalist, columnist, Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh, loves walking and literature, likes to collect old illustration books from all over the world, and has published books such as "British Illustrator", "British Illustration Book Collection", "Visiting Secretary" and so on.) ）