Italian
On August 27, scenic readings, music, meetings, and a “Requiem for Titian.” The program also includes a commemorative stamp and a tasting of the artisanal ice cream “Rosso Tiziano.”
PIEVE DI CADORE – A special day to remember Tiziano Vecellio on the 450th anniversary of his death. On Thursday August 27, 2026, Pieve di Cadore will pay tribute to its most illustrious citizen with a program of events including theater, music, and critical reflection, accompanied by a temporary philatelic service and the tasting of the artisanal ice cream “Rosso Tiziano”.
The celebrations are part of the project “Titianus Cadorinus 1576-2026”, promoted by the Magnificent Community of Cadore, the Foundation for the Study of Titian and Cadore, and the Municipality of Pieve di Cadore, with the support of the D.M.O. Dolomiti Bellunesi.
Since the beginning of the year, the Dolomite country has been celebrating the anniversary with an elaborate exhibition and cultural program. Among the main initiatives is the exhibition “Titian and the Landscape”, curated by Bernard Aikema and Thomas Dalla Costa and organized by Villaggio Globale International, open until October 18. The project also includes the reopening of the restored Birthplace of Titian, meetings, studies, and itineraries that will continue throughout the autumn.
Completing the calendar is the Tizianesque Summer 2026, an event promoted by the Tiziano and Cadore Study Center and now in its 22nd edition, dedicated to the knowledge of Titian, the Renaissance, and the historical, artistic, and landscape heritage of Cadore and Veneto.
The death of Titian during the plague of 1576
Titian died on August 27, 1576, close to ninety years old, in his studio-home at Biri Grande, in Venice, while the plague ravaged the city. Chronicles report that the painter was “ill with fever.” A few months later, in the Lazzaretto Vecchio, his beloved son Orazio also died.
The master was then at the height of fame: he had been the official painter of the Serenissima and court painter of Charles V and Philip II of Spain, contributing to a profound renewal of European painting. Despite the restrictions imposed by the health emergency, he was granted a funeral at San Marco and burial in the Basilica dei Frari.
In 1852, in his memory, a monumental cenotaph was inaugurated in the basilica, commissioned by the Emperor of Austria and designed by Luigi Zandomeneghi and his son. Titian is depicted at the center of a triumphal arch, flanked by the Winged Genius of Knowledge and Universal Nature: a reference to his ability to represent nature and assign it a narrative and leading role in painting.
This is precisely the theme of the exhibition hosted in the Palazzo della Magnifica Comunità di Cadore, in the square dedicated to the artist, and also referenced by the collateral exhibition “Cadorin Landscapes in the Watercolors of Josiah Gilbert”.
The painting preserved in the church of Pieve di Cadore
In the painter’s hometown, there is no grave for him, but the 15th-century Birthplace remains, along with what can be considered one of the most intimate testimonies of his bond with his family and with Cadore: the small altarpiece preserved in the Archdeaconry Church of Santa Maria Nascente.
The “Madonna with Child between Saints Titian and Andrew”, created in 1560 and anyway before 1568, was subjected in 2023 to investigations and restorations promoted by the Fondazione Centro Studi Tiziano e Cadore. The research allowed the work to be recognized as entirely painted by Titian, without the assistance of the workshop.
Donated by the artist to his city and intended for the chapel of the Vecellio, the canvas was probably created in 1560, the year of his brother Francesco’s death. The work, characterized by a reflective tone and private devotion, also holds a precious self-portrait: Titian depicts himself in a modest and humble manner, holding the pastoral staff in his hands.
In the two saints beside the Madonna, the brother Francesco and, probably, the son Pomponio would be recognizable. The latter, destined for an ecclesiastical career but a source of great concern for his father, after fierce legal disputes obtained recognition of the ownership of the master’s real estate in Cadore and Venice, subsequently initiating its dispersion and even selling the Birthplace in Pieve.
The program for August 27
The commemorative day will begin at 11, in the House of Titian known as the Orator, with the presentation of the book “The Life of Titian” by Antonio Chiades, published by Edizioni Antiga. Andrea Simionato and Andrea Bellieni will participate. This will be followed by a monologue from the author accompanied by the music of Lorenzo Tonon.
From 2 PM to 7 PM, at the Palazzo della Magnifica Comunità di Cadore, Poste Italiane will activate a temporary philatelic service with a special cancellation dedicated to the 450th anniversary.
At 4:30 PM, there will be a tasting of the artisanal ice cream “Rosso Tiziano”, an original creation by the master ice cream maker Fausto Bortolot.
At 6:30 PM, in the Cos.mo Auditorium, the world premiere of “As Venice Dies: Tiziano’s Last Vote. The Pietà and the Plague of 1576” will take place, a scenic reading conceived and performed by Matteo Melchiorre, accompanied by musical actions from Nelso Salton on double bass and Tommaso Sogne on percussion.
Melchiorre, director of the Giorgione Museum, the Library, and the Historical Archive of Castelfranco Veneto, will propose a narrative form in which historical research, literature, and theater intertwine. Through sources and documents, the dramatic atmosphere of Venice struck by the plague and the last days of Titian will resurface, engaged until the end in the realization of his stunning “Pietà”, amidst browns, grays, blacks, and sudden flashes of light.
The day will conclude at 9 PM, at the Archdeaconry Church of Santa Maria Nascente, with the “Requiem for Tiziano”, performed by the Odhecaton Ensemble conducted by Paolo Da Col.
For the occasion, the exhibition “Titian and the Landscape” will remain open with continuous hours from 10 AM to 7 PM.
Entry to the meetings and the evening concert is free until seats are filled.
