Collezione sacrati Strozzi. I dipinti estituiti a Ferrara.
A catalogue of the paintings brought back in Ferrara, with important critical essays.
The Strozzi Sacrati collection of paintings has its 'official' origin in 1850, when the Marquis Massimiliano Strozzi, of the Mantuan branch of the family, collected some 400 pictures in the Piazza San Domenico palazzo in Ferrara. His last descendent, the Marquis Uberto, died in 1982 leaving no direct or testamentary heirs, launching a long court case over the fate of his entire estate. Many of these works were sold by the heirs at different times to different buyers.
But some 60 paintings in the collection found their way back to their city of origin, Ferrara, at various times and by various procedures. These include major works, among the most representative of the original collection, like the two Muses from Borso d'Este's cabinet at Belfiore and the four panels which were originally part of an El Greco tryptich.
Some of these works were offered to the State in payment of inheritance tax under Law 512 of 1982, and some were sold as a lot to a single purchaser, the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara.
The paintings acquired under Law 512 were assigned by the State to the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Ferrara; they are now housed in the gallery alongside the works bought by the Fondazione, which has entrusted them to the Pinacoteca on condition that they be kept on public display, responding to the public desire to see at least a part of its scattered artistic and historic patrimony returned to Ferrara.
The works 'restored' to Ferrara are listed in the Sacrati Strozzi Collection catalogue:
I dipinti restituiti a Ferrara, by Giuliana Marcolini (Milan, Motta, 2006).
The works from both groups are listed and illustrated following the chronology provided by the most reliable attribution, only one of the paintings is signed, among the many which each painting has been given over time. Starting with the often unreliable attributions of the nineteenth century, these pass through those of early twentieth century critics, up to that of Mina Gregori, who revised the inventory of the entire corpus of paintings left by Uberto on behalf of the Court of Florence in 1983. Few of Gregori's judgements have been questioned or corrected by critics subsequently.
The volume, published with thanks to a contribution by the Foundation, is supplemented by a rich documentary apparatus provided by an analysis of the documents relating to the Sacrati and Strozzi families which are preserved in various archives in Ferrara and Florence.