Montefiascone celebrates 350 years of Carlo Fontana's dome with exhibition
The Cathedral of Santa Margherita, located in Montefiascone, boasts Italy's fourth-largest dome, crafted by the architect Carlo Fontana (1638–1714). This dome, measuring 27 meters in diameter, ranks after St. Peter's Basilica, Santa Maria del Fiore, and the Pantheon. During the 1970s, it was used as a substitute for St. Peter's. Fontana, a Swiss architect who apprenticed under prominent figures, oversaw significant projects in Rome. Following a fire in 1670, Cardinal Paluzzo Paluzzi Albertoni Altieri tasked Fontana with the dome's completion, which he accomplished in 1674, with its inauguration on December 16. An exhibition titled "Carlo Fontana – Fra la terra e il cielo" is set for June 20 to August 15, 2024, coinciding with the Festival dell'ecologia integrale (June 20–23).
Key facts
- Carlo Fontana's dome in Montefiascone is the fourth largest in Italy by diameter (27 m).
- The dome was completed in 1674, 350 years ago.
- Fontana was a Swiss architect who worked with Bernini, Cortona, and Rainaldi.
- The dome was commissioned after a 1670 fire destroyed the cathedral roof.
- The exhibition 'Carlo Fontana – Fra la terra e il cielo' runs June 20–August 15, 2024.
- The show is curated by Lydia Saraca Colonnelli and promoted by Banca del Fucino.
- Contemporary artists Alfredo Rapetti Mogol, José Angelino, and Sergio Gotti participate.
- The exhibition coincides with the Festival dell'ecologia integrale (June 20–23).
Entities
Artists
- Carlo Fontana
- Pietro da Cortona
- Carlo Rainaldi
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini
- Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane
- Paolo Gazola
- Alfredo Rapetti Mogol
- José Angelino
- Sergio Gotti
- Lydia Saraca Colonnelli
Institutions
- Cattedrale di Santa Margherita
- Banca del Fucino
- Associazione Rocca dei Papi
- Biblioteca Casanatense
- Palazzo Montecitorio
- Sant'Andrea della Valle
- San Marcello al Corso
- Santa Maria del Popolo
- Escorial
Locations
- Montefiascone
- Tuscia
- Lazio
- Italy
- Rome
- Bolsena
- Viterbo
- Oriolo Romano
- Azpeitia
- Spain
- Mar Tirreno