Le carrozze a Roma nel secondo Seicento. Dalla progettazione all'esecuzione attraverso le testimonianze documentarie e figurative

Carriages in Rome in the second half of the seventeenth century. From conception to execution through documentary and figurative sources This thesis examines the carriages in the second half of the seventeenth century in Rome. Through archive sources and drawings it has been possible to reconstruct the fate of these coaches that have not reached us. The theme of these expensive vehicles is investigated by two different types of carriages. The first focus is dedicated to the family carriages, like Pamphilj, Chigi, Borghese and Barberini. The invention of these coaches was delegated to leading artists such as Alessandro Algardi, Gian Lorenzo Bernini e Johann Paul Schor. The second focus is on the parade coach for the foreign ambassadors used for their solemn procession to the Pope in Rome; these were composed by very heavy wagons and decorative sculptures in gilded wood which prevented transport to the homeland. Austrian Schor workshop was the most active in this production, especially for the nations of France and Spain. Instead, the painter Ciro Ferri will be the designer of the carriages of the 1680s, composed of numerous wooden figures. The thesis also explores the stages of carriage construction through the study of carvers, embroiderers and iron workers. The exorbitant costs invested in the construction of these carriages required continuous care. This maintenance involved rebuilding, recovering and dismantling the gilded wood, fabric and precious metal parts. Once they reached the end of their life, the valuable materials were removed and took on a new identity.