Standing in the Castellani Chapel to the side of the main altar at the Basilica of Santa Croce, a 19th-century cenotaph to Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern was recently restored thanks to an American donor.
Born to one of the most renowned aristocratic families in Prussia and raised under the protection of Maria Theresa of Austria, Louise of Stolberg-Gedern married Charles Edward Stuart, claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland, for the purposes of diplomatic relations. The marriage quickly fell apart due to her husband’s violent tendencies, and yet the princess succeeded in securing a legal separation with a generous annuity due to her petitions to Peter Leopold, Grand Duke of Tuscany, King Gustav III of Sweden and the Cardinal of York. The princess subsequently moved to Paris and then Florence with her partner, the poet and dramatist Count Vittorio Alfieri, where they established one of the most popular literary salons in town at Palazzo Gianfigliazzi, which was frequented by the likes of Lord Byron and François-René de Chateaubriand. Alfieri was buried in Santa Croce and Antonio Canova was commissioned to sculpt his funerary monument. The princess continued to live in Florence, where she died on January 29, 1824 and was buried in Santa Croce, close to Alfieri. Charles Percier designed the princess’s funerary monument, while the Faith, Hope and Charity marble group was sculpted by Edoardo Santarelli and Ottavio Giannozzi carved the intricate frame.
An all-woman team is behind the restoration campaign led by Paola Rosa and sponsored by New York-based and Florence-loving “art angel” Donna Malin, who also financed the restoration of Michelangelo and Machiavelli’s tombs as well as the Pazzi Chapel loggia, all at the Basilica of Santa Croce. On restoring the statue, the team removed mud remaining from the 1966 flood and discovered postcards and other curiosities lodged by visitors over the years.
“Santa Croce is the most special place for me in all of Florence,” comments Donna Malin. “All these years, the first thing I always do on visiting Florence is to visit Michelangelo’s tomb and spend a quiet moment with him and thank him for all the beauty he gave to the world. Since Florence has given me so much joy, I wanted to do something to give back to the city. Several years ago, I had the honor of participating in the restoration of Michelangelo’s tomb and the adjacent altarpiece by Giorgio Vasari. That’s when I met Paola Rosa and Emanuela Pieretti. They were very kind to let me climb up on the scaffolding, wearing a hard hat, and answer all my questions, encouraging my passions. This project allowed me to work with them again. It took me all of a minute to agree to get involved with this restoration, which celebrates a brave, independent and interesting woman who made an impact on Florence. She’s also one of only two women buried in Santa Croce.”
Leave your mark on history and give back to Santa Croce. For information or requests about fundraising campaigns, contact donors@santacroceopera.it.
