Wonders for God and the King
Frescos, stuccos and marbles contribute to the pomp and lavishness of the baroque buildings, exalting altars, ceilings, staircases and fireplaces of the palaces and completing the grandeur of the architecture. Among the most important painters who worked in Piedmont during the long Baroque period, stands out the mannerist Guglielmo Caccia known as il Moncalvo, the “Raffaello from Monferrato”, author of some famous paintings such as the Resurrection in the Duomo in Asti, the numerous canvases for the Church of San Marco in Novara and some Churches in Casale Monferrato; Claudio Francesco Beaumont, a court painter who worked, in particular, at Palazzo Reale, and a woman as well, the portrait artist of the Savoy family Maria Giovanna Battista Clementi. Among the sculptors, it is important to mention above all Andrea Pozzo, who painted the perspectives of the churches Missione in Mondovì and SS. Martiri in Turin. Among the most important works, at the Sanctuary of Vicoforte (Cuneo) the fresco of the largest oval dome in the world: a single theme over 6,000 square meters, which shows some narrative scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, realized by Mattia Bortoloni from Rovigo and the Milanese Felice Biella between 1746 and 1748 in a style inspired by Tiepolo. In the sculpture, the scenic installation of the life size statues of the 7 Sacri Monti UNESCO World Heritage is truly impressive. Of great importance are also the skilled artisans on an European level such as Pietro Piffetti, the first cabinetmaker of the King.
