Italian
The fresco cycle of the Stories of Saint Ursula
TREVISO. The Santa Caterina complex is one of the three locations of the Civic Museums of Treviso and is formed by the former convent complex of the Servants of Mary and the attached former church dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
Its history dates back to the medieval period, when the Da Camino Palace stood in this place, including the famous Gherardo, mentioned by Dante in his Divine Comedy, grateful for the hospitality he received from him as an exile.
The Palace was set on fire following a popular revolt against the power of this family, and after thirty years of abandonment, on its ashes the Order of the Servants of Mary decided to build a convent and the attached church, dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
The convent was suppressed in 1772 and became state property along with the church. Its spaces were turned into barracks and military warehouses, damaging both the architecture and the frescoes.
But the decisive moment for this site was the bombing on April 7, 1944, when the restorer Mario Botter, to whom the square in front of the museum is now dedicated, brought to light the pictorial treasure hidden for centuries under the anonymous plaster that whitewashed the walls of the church of Santa Caterina. A sculpture by the artist Mario Martinelli on the wall in front of the museum.
From there begins the rebirth of this complex, with a series of restorations aimed at housing in these spaces the rich archaeological and ancient art collections, documenting over a hundred thousand years of history of the Treviso area, from prehistory to the Roman era, and the Art Gallery, which houses paintings and sculptures of Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern Art.
But the main attraction for a careful and cultured visitor is the cycle of frescoes of the Stories of Saint Ursula by Tomaso da Modena, dating back to around 1350, coming from the Church of Santa Margherita of the Eremitani which was about to be demolished. They were discovered by Abbot Bailo and saved by Girolamo Botter and Antonio Carlini, empirically implementing the technique of detachment given the few resources available. Bailo then had the painted plaster transferred to mobile wooden frames, miraculously managing to save almost entirely the masterpiece by Tomaso.
The medieval painter who left many of his works in our area. In particular, it is worth remembering the painting of the first man with glasses in the Chapter of the Dominicans, in the convent of San Nicolò.
This museum complex is also famous for hosting a highly successful exhibition on Arturo Martini in 1967, curated by the renowned architect Carlo Scarpa. Subsequently, in 1974, the municipal administration decided to entrust the same architect with the project of transforming the entire complex into a museum, entering into an agreement with the State.
The project of the Venetian architect was set aside, despite some work being at an advanced stage. Finally, after long and challenging restoration works, the complex became one of the locations of the Treviso Civic Museums, articulated around the two cloisters, which recall the original vocation of this building, that of the convent of the Servants of Mary.
With the latest changes to the project, first a large hypogeum space was excavated beneath the small cloister, followed by the hypogeum hall created beneath the large cloister and the east wing of the convent building. All these spaces have been adapted to host temporary exhibitions.
Looking back, in the memories of the people from Treviso, the most engaging exhibitions resurface, such as the one about “Paris Bordon. Divine painter 1500-1571” or the recent “Women on stage: Boldini, Selvatico, Martini”. But also the exhibition on Rodin and many others.
In the near future, two exhibitions are scheduled: “Hokusai – water and the secret of the great wave” and “Mary Magdalene and the cross: Sublime love”.
But the great anticipation is for the return of Goldin’s major exhibitions in Treviso, with “Painting Stories from Abstraction to Impressionism”.
The Museum of Santa Caterina thus confirms its vocation as a space of excellence for exhibitions.
