Civiche Raccolte Storiche

The historical events of a considerable pottery are outlined thanks to research into some earthenware belonging to the Tadini Academy of Fine Arts (Lovere) and usually ascribed to a pottery in Sovere.
Sovere pottery was established by the Bottaini family likely at the end of 18th century. It stood out in art industry expositions in Lombardy and Italy by means of the Picozzi family management (since 1843).
In 1873 the Sovere pottery merged into a greater Company, Società Ceramica Richard in Milan.
A census of earthenware usually ascribed to Sovere pottery allowed to attribute few ceramics to that factory. The ceramics style is close to the English stoneware and earthenwares from Fontebasso pottery in Treviso.
A specific study of earthenware production and diffusion in Lombardy between 18th and 19th centuries may be carried out starting from this research into the Sovere pottery.

Ernesto Rusca between Romanesque and Neo-Romanesque architecture. Decorative painting by false mosaic in Rivolta d’Adda, Gallarate and Legnano.

Thanks to his successful restoration of Leonardo da Vinci’s wall paintings in Sala delle Asse at Milan Castle on Luca Beltrami’s behalf, in 1903 the painter and restorer Ernesto Rusca (1862 – 1947) was asked by the architect Cesare Nava to decorate the just restored cathedral of Rivolta d’Adda (11th-12th century). Rusca painted a Coronation of the Virgin Mary between Saint Sigismond and Albert Quadrelli in Neo-Fifteenth Century style on false mosaic background. In 1904 the architect Cecilio Arpesani requested Rusca to decorate the Neo-Romanesque church of Santissimo Redentore in Legnano but only in 1908 the painter carried out a Transfiguration of Jesus on false mosaic background to comply with wishes. This work is a copy of the Transfiguration by Beato Angelico in San Marco Museum, Florence. On behalf of the architect Gaetano Moretti Rusca painted a third false mosaic in the apse of Saint Peter’s Romanseque church in Gallarate (11th-12th century). His Christ blessing seated on his throne derives from models of Neo-Fifteenth Century style.
Ernesto Rusca was one of the most talented ‘interpreter’ of historicism architects requests and his work plainly went along with the ‘tendency style’ which considered the false mosaic particularly fitted to the Romanesque and Neo-Romanesque buildings in Lombardy