Giovanni Antonio De Sacchis in the Pordenone area

Art & Culture

19 October 2018

Art & Culture

Giovanni Antonio De Sacchis in the Pordenone area

Do you need to be an art expert to take part in the tours organised by the Municipality of Pordenone to discover the famous Italian Renaissance artist who left behind many great works in this part of Friuli-Venezia Giulia? Of course not. The tours are available to everyone, in a comfortable coach with an expert guide, for an afternoon visit to discover timeless attractions. A project, not to be missed, has been put in place to promote slow tourism, combining local art and culture, in collaboration with the Diocesi di Concordia-PN, PromoTurismoFVG and ATAP.

I have had experience of this organisation and I can say that I appreciate the valuable work it does. The frescoes by Giovanni Antonio de’ Sacchis (1483-1539) also known as "il Pordenone" still have a story to tell. I must confess that the afternoon just flew by. Thanks to Ramona, our guide, and to Elena. Did you know that, prolific in his works, married twice and even though overshadowed by Titian, having missed out on an important commission, he gained transmissible nobility and a foothold in that Venice where he had been disregarded. A hard-working artist, according to Vasari he was self-taught. Today, in the Friuli region, he is considered the most important artist in art studies. His pupil was Pomponio Amalteo, who then became his son-in-law. Born in Pordenone, Giovanni Antonio de’ Sacchis trained in the Tolmezzo school, absorbing the nuances of the colours of Giorgione and developing them: he switched from drawing and from strong shades to delicate ones to majestic figures and scenes, evolving from shapes with optical illusion to more dynamic, elegant and free shapes. On that Saturday afternoon, the group of visitors was quiet, attentive and looked upwards. The frescoes by the greatest Friulian artist of the Renaissance are of incredible celebratory beauty and, looking at details, suggest a great knowledge and close bond with the local area. The natural landscape that can be seen from the coach, and the small villages along the route are most noteworthy. At times, low white clouds over the foothills appeared to frame the autumn foliage. Nature is a great artist. At the small refreshment stop, scenes of contemporary life could be seen at the bar, with its traditional counter and TV room; a “tajùt” (glass of wine) and a chat in good company.

Some of the artistic images I remember: the warm bright colours, the small dome of the choir of the small church and cemetery in Gaio, much older than 1490; the first acknowledged work of the artist, in Valeriano, the triptych with his signature, in the small church building built by the Confraternity of the Battuti in about 1300; the light of the chubby Bambinello on cushions in the Nativity with great chromatic appeal, the winged cherubs, which recall the cherubs of arches of the vault of Travesio, photographed by a renowned person of Casarsa; the gentle features of the Archangel who is forcefully piercing a raging demon. Details, vivid expressions, the study of light, scenes that seen in their entirety appear to be grandiose and magnificent make these places an opportunity for elevation over time. Five churches were visited: San Marco in Gaio, San Martino in Pinzano, Santo Stefano and Santa Maria-Oratorio dei Battuti in Valeriano and San Pietro in Travesio, a triumphant end. Whether you choose the guided tour on Saturday or the complementary churches on Sunday, you will receive a gift of an illustrated guide for the fifteen destinations. The next guided tours are on Saturday 20 October and 3 November. If you choose the Sunday instead, you will see another five places.
For information: PromoturismoFVG at Palazzo Badini in Pordenone, Tel. +39 0434 520381, info.pordenone@promoturismo.fvg.it

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Anna Maria Ometto

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Sommelier, food and wine expert. Representative and president of professional associations. Adopted by Friuli Venezia Giulia, where she had a career in teaching, she tries to juggle her family roles and her commitments with regional promotion associations. She lives in the province of Pordenone.