Written and read by Paolo di Buono
The Mosaic Studio
The history of the Vatican Mosaic Studio dates from the beginning of the sixteenth century, when Pope Gregory XIII Boncompagni decided to entrust the painter Girolamo Muziano with the mosaic decoration of the dome of the Gregorian Chapel of the Vatican Basilica (1578-1580). Following its success, it was decided to extend this type of decoration also to Michelangelo’s large dome (1603-1612) and to all the domes of the Basilica.
Some of the most important painters of the time, such as Giuseppe Cesari known as Cavalier d’Arpino, Pietro da Cortona and Francesco Trevisani, worked on the preparation of the pictorial models for the mosaicists. To apply the “mosaic carpet” to the domes, a special stucco made of linseed oil was used for the first time in the sixteenth century, the recipe for which has been preserved for over four centuries and is still used today by the mosaicists of the Vatican Studio.
While the domes were being decorated, already by the end of the seventeenth century, work began on the reproduction in mosaic of the painted altarpieces of the Basilica’s altars, which were deteriorating due to humidity.
The great variety of colours in enamel necessary for such a procedure demanded constant experimentation in techniques and mixtures, leading the production of approximately 28,000 enamels in different colour tones, some of which are still kept in the warehouses of the Mosaic Studio.
The Basilica was thus covered with around 10,000 square metres of mosaic.
In 1727, at the behest of Pope Benedict XIII, the “workshop” was organized as a permanent institution named “Vatican Mosaic Studio”, and was placed under the direct authority of the Fabric of Saint Peter.
Spun enamel micromosaic
Around 1775, the mosaicists Giacomo Raffaelli and Cesare Aguatti “rediscovered” the technique of “spun enamel” mosaic, already used at the beginning of the 1600s by the mosaicist of the Vatican school, Marcello Provenzale, whereby miniscule tesserae were obtained by the section of enamel rods formed in fusion. The two mosaicists produced the first “minute mosaics” or “micromosaics”, ushering in a new era of mosaic that became “miniaturized” and was used to decorate small everyday objects such as boxes, tobacco boxes and jewellery. Micromosaics became the most sought-after souvenirs of Rome, even by the aristocracy on the “Grand Tour”.
The mosaicists of the Studio were the most skilful interpreters of this technique, so much so that the popes themselves commissioned gifts for European sovereigns such as the famous table with the representation of Achilles’ shield that Pope Leo XIII gave in 1826 to Charles X, King of France.
The Mosaic Studio today
The Vatican Mosaic Studio, under the direction of the Fabric of Saint Peter, today performs a dual function: the conservation of the Basilica's mosaics, with restoration work, and the production of mosaic works for sale to the public. Thanks to the skill and experience of its mosaicists, who still use the ancient technical-artistic procedures, works inspired by masterpieces of sacred and profane art are executed. The studio also carries out works on commission and can be visited by appointment.
© Fabric of Saint Peter