In the Shadow of Leonardo. Tapestries and Ceremonies at the Court of the Popes

On 21 March the exhibition In the Shadow of Leonardo. Tapestries and Ceremonies at the Court of the Popes, curated by Alessandra Rodolfo and Andrea Merlotti, was inaugurated at the Reggia di Venaria Reale in Turin and is now open to the public in the Sale delle Arti.

Organized by the Consortium Savoy Royal Residences with the participation of the Vatican Museums, the exhibition is part of the line of research of the “European Courts”, which has always been one of the cultural lines of the Reggia and its Study Center. The exhibition collects works from the Vaticans Museums themselves, the Palazzo del Quirinale, the Museum of Rome, the Royal Museums of Turin, the Tridentine Diocesan Museum, the Civica Raccolta delle Stampe A. Bertarelli of Milano and from various private collections.

At the center of the exhibition are two extraordinary works conserved in the Vatican Museums: Leonardo’s tapestry of The Last Supper and the Canopy of Clement VII, designed by Raphael’s main pupils and collaborators. The visit itinerary thus offers the visitor a journey inside some of the most important papal ceremonies, to grasp the profound meaning of ancient ceremonies rich in symbols and meanings, through tapestries, engravings, paintings and objects that immerse the visitor in a world of traditions and ancient rites.

Our team is proud of the set-up created, which allows the visitor to explore these rituals not only as external acts, but as important testimonies of the history and rituals of the Roman Church.

Photo Courtesy: Beppe Giardino