Entitled “Patron Saints of Everyday Life. Great Saints for Our Times”, it brings together 11 works by El Greco, Luca Signorelli, Luca Giordano, and other masters, on loan from the Vatican Museums, the Barberini Palace in Rome, and the Museum of San Marco in Florence, among others.
What gives the exhibition its unique character is the juxtaposition of two paintings by El Greco – the “Redentore” (The Redeemer), brought from the Vatican, and “The Ecstasy of Saint Francis”, the pride and joy of the Siedlce Diocesan Museum. The only El Greco in Poland, it was discovered by chance in a parish in the Siedlce area back in the mid-1960s and subsequently attributed to Dominikos Theotokopoulou, the Spanish painter of Greek origin, known as El Greco.
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, the Italian Ambassador in Poland Franchetti Pardo described St. Francis as “the holiest of Italians and the most Italian of saints”, adding that October 4, his feast day, was recently reinstated as the country’s national holiday.
Pardo went on to say that the promotion of the legacy of St. Francis is for Italy not merely a cultural diplomacy initiative, but a way to highlight the inspiration that his country continues to draw from the saint’s message.
“The pursuit of peace, respect for the Creation, and the ability to foster dialogue among people of different faiths and backgrounds are the universal Franciscan values that guide Italy’s international actions”, he said.
The exhibition marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis. It runs until December 15.
(mk/jh)