Nino Visconti di Gallura: a commission. Sardenia. August 2011.

"Era già l'ora che volge i disio ai navicanti..."

This is how the VIII song of the “Divine Comedy” begins. This is when Dante meets Nino Visconti. Forced to leave Pisa because the Ghibellinis coming into power, Nino took refuge at Tempio Pausania, in Gallura Sarda, where he lived until his dead.

Nino Visconti’s house at Tempio Pausania

Michele and felicita Tamponi have bought and restored the house wher Nino Visconti lived and the one behind it. The two of them are connected with a courtyard.

Michele e Felicita wanted a fresco painting reproduction of the front cover of Nino Visconti’s biography that Michele has written. It shows the protagonist the moment he’s forced to abandon Pisa.

                                                 Nino Visconti leaves Pisa.

He chosen space is the ceiling of the staircase that leads to the floor where the hall of the house is. This ceiling is practically a square (140x132cms.) therefore there was the need to adapt the picture trying to change as little as possible the spirit of the original.

Workers from Tempio had prepared, under our guidelines, the “arriccio” and the “intonaco”. Some weeks later after they had finished their work, we painted the fresco  with the invaluable help of Merche Palacios (and Felicita).

The "sinopia"

Merche

“Artistic licences”: Instead of the tower of the model, we had been asked to paint the bell tower of Tempio cathedral, along with the rooster on top, which is the symbol of Gallura region, and the facade of Nino’s house among the buildings of the city.

                                                 Bell tower, the rooster, the house.

The signature

Our anphitryons.