SUMMER COURSE IN CINETO ROMANO

Cineto Romano

 

The ancient medieval castle in Cineto probably dates to the XI Century Its original name and that of the surrounding village was “La Scarpa ”, The Shoe. The village came to be known as Cineto only after the second half of the XIX Cent. Originally it belonged to the powerful Orsini family who then sold it to the wealthy Borghese family in the XVI Cent. The feudal territory then passed to the religious order of the “ Oblati di Maria Immacolata” who held it until the end of World War II. Unfortunately, the medieval castle was poorly restored then divided and transformed into a number of visually unimpressive private residences. The history of the

castle and the village was determined by the continual feuding and discord among the ever-changing ownership of the nobility which plagued this region for centuries. As an example, a particular duel has been recorded between two local noblemen, Tontarello da Gallicano and Ottone da Palestrina which should have taken place but appeared to have been postponed indefinitely. We also have a record of the torrid love story between a beautiful girl from Cineto, Veronica Latini and the French painter Jan Renaudot. He, and his friend, the painter Henry Regnault, were both fascinated by the rugged beauty of the local landscape and by the savage attractiveness of Veronica.

 

Eventually, she became the favorite model of Regnault who painted her as Salomè, considered to be his masterpiece. In 1870, at the outbreak of the war with Prussia, both young men returned to Paris to join the French army, but sadly, Regnault fell in combat. Finally, Veronica and Renaudot got married and lived in Rome until her death in 1900. The church of San Giovanni Battista was built at the end of the XII Cent. In modern times it was remodeled and eventually was totally disfigured. Fortunately, quite recently it has been very tastefully restored. Inside there is a good XVI Cent painting of St John the Baptist in the desert by Cav. Vincenzo Manenti. To conclude our brief conversation about Cineto’s history, we note that when southern and central Italy were harassed by brigands’ incursions, the village was often attacked by bands of brigands, including the infamous Fra Diavolo (Brother Devil)

 

Hadrian`s Villa

 

They must have felt the enormous civilizing power that stood behind this achievement. Architecture works in very subtle ways because the sensual qualities of built volumes are instinctively felt by anyone who enters them without any need for prior reflection. The villa thus expressed the invigorating vision of a brighter and freer world and from this awe-inspiring majestic ruins the echo of this “revolution” reverberates to this day. His villa at Tivoli was marvelously constructed and he actually gave parts of

it the names of provinces and places of greatest renown. Emperor Hadrian’s immense and lasting legacy remains to this day. We can say that his reorganization of the Roman Empire helped to shape the world we live in today. Indeed, if we look at the situation of the world now, we notice that the major conflict zones of Hadrian’s time are still crucial conflict zones. It is difficult to form a picture of Hadrian the man. He emerges as a highly gifted, intellectually curious individual. He was a ruthless despot and a passionate hunter. Ruler of the world of his time, he was also interested in the arts and is said to have tried his hand at many

pursuits in this area. He loved so passionately the young Greek Antinoo that after his mysterious death, he wanted him to be publicly adored and erected temples dedicated to divine Antinoo. It seems that he was drowned in the river Nile. It is important to remember that Hadrian’s villa was to a large extent a public place. It was a gathering place for the empire’s elite, where the power of architecture, to inspire a sense of superiority, could be physically demonstrated. In this gigantic built

manifesto, the senatorial aristocracy could encounter a powerful vision of the Empire and its future.

 

At the end of August, there will be a painting contest in which the students may participate: Premio Nazionale di Pittura. 

 

Course schedule: Monday to Friday (4 hours per day)

Tuition: 1.100 euro 

 

This course is also open for families. The kids from 8 years old to 14 years old can join their parents to learn the basics of painting. Along with the adults, the children will be getting individual instruction in order to develop their artistic potential and establish a correct foundation for their further professional development.

The cost for the child: 400 euro