The workshop started with the visit to the Siena Cathedral that offered the opportunity to the guests to discover the multifarious artistic aspects of the monument with an emphasis on the spectacular inlaid marble mosaic floor.
At the Palazzo Pubblico where Lorenzetti’s The Allegory of Good and Bad Government is located, the visitors had the occasion to see the undisputed 14th-century fresco masterpiece that constituted the starting point of this workshop.
Professor Scolamiero presented the traditional procedure of making colors using Arabic gum and pure pigments and the participants made their own colors that were later used in the drawing sessions. Professor Capogrosso provided the group with knowledge about Frottage and its historical origins. Using Frottage, the participants wandered the city, captured parts of it, and brought them back to their countries of origin.
In the territory of the hilly complex of the Montagnola Senese, Professor Fusi guided the exploration of the Galardi Brothers’ Marble Laboratory where the participants discovered not only the traditional marble processing but also the particular characteristics of the Yellow Siena Marble.
At the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore that stands atop the Crete Senese, the group leapt at the chance to observe both Luca Signorelli’s thirty-six fresco Scenes from the Life of St Benedict and the magnificent intarsia and wood inlays made by the Sienese masters explained professor D’Acchille.
The participants drew en plein air on a number of occasions, shared experiences, and spent travel time together.
The workshop activities concluded with Professor Serino’s lecture on The Allegory of Good and Bad Government analyzed in depth its historical context, its pictorial contrast, and its symbolic imagery.
