Don Primo Mazzolari Biennale
The Church of San Francesco, Bozzolo, Italy
20 September 2009 - 22 November 2009
1 exhibits

20 September 2009, an exhibition Don Primo Mazzolari Biennale opened in the Church of San Francesco, Bozzolo, Italy. The icon St Nicholas (end of the 13th - 14th century) from the collection of the State Hermitage is displayed at this exhibition.

A request of providing the St Nicholas icon for the exhibition in Italy was addressed to the State Hermitage Museum by Roberto Busti, bishop of Mantua, and Dante Lanfranconi, bishop of Cremona, with the assistance of the Municipality of the city of Bozzolo (the province of Mantua, Lombardy region, Italy).

In 2009 Bozzolo celebrates the 50th anniversary of foundation of the Don Primo Mazzolari Fund. Don Primo Mazzolari was a catholic priest known for his consistent pacifism and persistent protection of principal humanistic values.

In memory of this prominent figure in Italian post-war history who was equally revered by religious and secular circles (National Anniversary Committee is headed by the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano) the Bozzolo Town hall suggested exhibiting during celebration days the Old Russian icon with the depiction of St Nicholas who was equally revered by the Orthodox and by Catholics. The occasion of this initiative was the interview of Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum, published in the Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, on April 5th, 2008. In this interview Mikhail Piotrovsky expressed an idea of necessity of developing not only economical relations between Italy and Russia, but also an active cultural dialogue at all levels including the religious level. According to the achieved agreement the State Hermitage Museum provided the Novgorod icon of the 13th century, the St Nicholas, from the collection of the Department of the History of Russian Culture for displaying in Bozzolo.

The icon of St Nicholas is numbered among the earliest icons in the collection of the Museum. It was brought by the expedition of the State Hermitage in 1960 from the St Nicholas side chapel of the wooden church of the Nativity of the Virgin (16th century) in the Peredki village, Borovichi district, Novgorod region.

St Nicholas of Myra in his episcopal vestment is depicted against the bright blazing cinnabar-red background. The characteristic feature of this icon is in the absence of the scene of the Nicea miracle (the Virgin and Christ in medallions). The St Nicholas is an acknowledged monument of Novgorod icon painting and a true masterpiece of Old Russia created in the traditions of monumental painting of Old Novgorod.

In 1961-1962 at the Department of Scientific Restoration and Conservation of the State Hermitage a restorer A. M. Malova conducted the restoration of the St Nicholas icon which was initially dated back to the 15th century, then an earlier date was accepted on the ground of the stylistic and material characteristics. The icon had a very good state of preservation of the paint layer (except for the missing left board and dowels) for such old monuments. The missing part of the board was restored, and the painting of the figure of the saint was finished in the old painting style.