The Deposition of Cannara, a work that ended up in oblivion

In the late 1990s, a painting by an unknown artist from the first half of the 17th century hung on a dark, damp wall in the sacristy of the Church of San Francesco in Cannara. The work, a copy of the famous Transport of Christ to the Sepulchre by Raffaello Sanzio commissioned by Atalanta Baglioni, needed urgent and urgent restoration.

La Deposizione di Cannara prima del restauro

La Deposizione di Cannara dopo il restauro

The Pro Loco, represented by President Marco Bini, also because of the direct historical connection with the Baglioni family who were lords of our town for many years – Cannara in fact constituted the first fiefdom for Malatesta Baglioni, faithful lieutenant of Braccio Fortebracci, and remained so for the family until 1648 – immediately made itself available to finance the restoration which was entrusted to Dino Roselletti di Casaglia. It also commissioned a study on the canvas to the late Prof. Franco Ivan Nucciarelli of the University of Perugia and, to Dr. Ester Giovacchini – expert restorer of ancient fabrics – the historical and structural analysis of the fabric of the painting. Many will remember the church of San Francesco packed with people on the occasion of the presentation of the restoration. For the occasion, an interesting booklet was printed which literally sold out in subsequent exhibitions in which the painting was exhibited, in which we read:

The painting [Raphael’s “Transportation of Christ to the Sepulchre”, ed.] however continued to exert its fascination, despite the distance. From the unforgettable Transportation of Christ in Perugia, no longer visible in the Raphaelesque original, other copies continued to be deduced. In the city, in addition to those by Orazio Alfani and the Cavalier d’Arpino, carried out on the original, one by Lanfranco is remembered, which some scholars believe was the one sent by Paul V, of which all traces have been lost. [Paul V had the painting given to him by the Friars Minor Conventual of San Francesco al Prato, ed.]. Finally, one is reported in the Church of the Abbey of S. Pietro, another owned by the Sodalizio di San Martino, derived from the oldest versions, now therefore copies of copies. In this perspective of admired regret, the interesting re-proposal of the Church of S. Francesco in Cannara also fits […] Completely detached from the original three-register layout, the Cannara copy, similarly to the previous replicas, looks only at the central altarpiece; in line with the uses and pictorial techniques of the 17th century, the unknown author promptly replaces the original wooden support and the tempera grassa with canvas and oil. As for the dimensions, he is very careful: the 179×174.3 cm of the original is answered with 172.5×173 cm, making Raphael’s missing square, barely perceptibly verticalized, almost a perfect square.

In the following months, an Umbrian entrepreneur and patron, with his Foundation, organized a work in progress exhibition entitled Raffaello e l’idea della Bellezza dedicated to the great artist from Urbino who lived a decisive phase of his life in Umbria, and asked our parish to lend a copy of the Deposizione. With his approval, that of the Diocese and the Superintendence of Perugia, the canvas was exhibited in the Pala Congressi of San Benedetto del Tronto from 15 June to 30 September 2001.

In the subsequent exhibition in Rome, in the prestigious halls of Castel Sant’Angelo inaugurated by the Undersecretary of Cultural Heritage Nicola Bono on 19 December 2001 and open to visitors until 17 February 2002, the Deposizione di Cannara took on a central role. The exceptional curator of the exhibition was Prof. Alessandro Vezzosi, art historian and director of the “Museo Ideale” in Vinci, the same one that in 2000 brought an equally “experimental” exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci around Italy.