Neapolitan Tapestry-making under the Bourbons of the Two Sicilies
Neapolitan Tapestry-making under the Bourbons of the Two Sicilies
Only three years after his triumphal entry into Naples in 1734, King Charles of Bourbon decided to establish a tapestry factory in the city under the direct control of the Crown. His desire to build—from every point of view—a new autonomous Kingdom, of which he would be the founding sovereign, was evident.
In the historical section dedicated to Charles of Bourbon, we have already shown how he perfectly succeeded in this, and we have also described his main artistic, cultural, and social initiatives intended, on one hand, to modernize and elevate the Kingdom culturally and artistically, and on the other, to increase the fame and glory of the new Bourbon dynasty of Naples and Sicily.”
It is in this light that his decision to open a tapestry school in Naples must be viewed, also considering that throughout his reign, he was an undeterred builder of sumptuous buildings (one need only think of the Royal Palaces of Capodimonte and Portici and, of course, above all, the Royal Palace of Caserta), of factories that later became famous throughout Europe (such as the Capodimonte Porcelain factory), of State Schools such as the Neapolitan Academy of Design, etc.
In other words, these were all constructions that required adequate furnishings (the Royal Palace of Naples itself, in a state of neglect, had to be completed and modernized): it was therefore clear that tapestries, present in all the great royal and noble palaces of Europe, would play a central role in this regard.
Charles was also fortunate in the implementation of his project. In fact, on October 5, 1737—shortly after the death of Gian Gastone de’ Medici, the last Grand Duke of the great Florentine family—the famous Tapestry Manufactory (founded in 1546 by Cosimo I) was suppressed, and all the artists and craftsmen found themselves effectively unemployed.
The King truly knew how to seize the opportunity, and «with indubitable opportunism and rare timeliness», he immediately hired the best among them, having tasked the Prime Minister of the Royal House, Gioacchino di Montealegre, Marquis of Salas, to personally oversee the establishment of the Neapolitan tapestry factory (which constitutes clear proof of the King’s keen interest). Montealegre, in turn, appointed Marquis Giovanni Brancaccio (future Prime Minister) as Superintendent of the nascent Royal Tapestry Factory, and charged him with providing for the purchase of the necessary equipment and the start of work, albeit with rather limited means at the time.
Domenico Del Rosso was appointed Director of the Factory and G.F. Pieri as Purveyor, both formerly directors in Florence; they were later assisted by young apprentices who worked for free, thus forming the first nucleus of a true national school. The building annexed to the convent and Church of San Carlo alle Mortelle was chosen as the headquarters, which had already been intended to house the Workshop of Semi-precious Stones and was subsequently the first home of the Neapolitan Academy of Design.
By 1739, the tapestry featuring the Portrait of Charles of Bourbon, now preserved at Capodimonte, was nearly complete, and work immediately began on weaving the Portrait of Queen Maria Amalia of Saxony.
In 1740, Montealegre and Brancaccio established an official statute, which regulated the working methods, the management of the company, and the treatment of the workers. All work was organized and directed by a master with the rank of Director, who answered for the entire factory only to the superintendent and the Sovereign. He was assisted by a Custodian, a Dyer, who handled the coloring of the yarns, and a Clerk, who functioned as a bursar. The Custodian, in addition to his role as watchman, was responsible for personally delivering the requested materials to the Director or the Dyer—a delivery for which he then had to account to the Clerk—and for collecting the sums for the workers’ wages. The Clerk was then required to draft a complete inventory of everything purchased, while also informing the sovereign of the expenses incurred by the Factory.
The Director was required to arrive at the factory an hour before the workers and leave only at the end of the daily work, which lasted between 8 and 12 hours with a short afternoon break, once everyone had left their workstation.
Any error had to be repaired by the responsible worker; if this was not possible, the value of the damage was deducted from the worker’s pay. Every worker, however, had the right to directly inform the Sovereign, through the superintendent, of situations that could jeopardize the smooth running of the Factory without their direct responsibility.
Development and Splendor of Neapolitan Tapestry-making
Naturally, the “turning point” in production occurred with the rapid progress of work on the Royal Palace of Caserta from 1752 onwards. In this case, it was Charles himself, together with Vanvitelli, who decided on the subject of each tapestry and its final placement. In particular, the King desired the completion of the tapestry series featuring the Stories of Don Quixote, which, begun at the Gobelins Manufactory between 1730 and 1735, had been gifted by Louis XV to the Duke of Campofiorito, and by him gifted to Charles.
In 1757, this important task was given to the Roman Pietro Duranti, an expert in the craft for years; he was authorized to hire new tapestry makers, as it was clear that Charles now fully intended to make a “leap in quality”: and so, many were called from Rome and Turin.
The new factory was then divided into two workshops: the first specialized in high-warp tapestry work, directed by Duranti, and the other intended for low-warp tapestry work, directed by Del Rosso, later replaced by Orlando Filippini, an excellent teacher of the art of tapestry.
It was primarily thanks to Duranti—who was also advised and followed by Vanvitelli himself—that production improved significantly from a qualitative point of view during these years.
Other important series of tapestries were then woven; among the most notable works, we should mention: Allegories of Virtue (1763-1767), intended for the Belvedere Room of the Royal Palace of Naples; the myth of Cupid and Psyche (1783-1786); the Deeds of the Life of Henry IV, etc.
In November 1778, the factory was moved directly into some rooms of the Royal Palace of Naples, where Duranti finished a tapestry depicting Cleopatra that same year.
Unfortunately, significant damage was inflicted during the dark days of the Neapolitan Republic in 1799, which also marked the end of the Factory and the tapestry school. The last series of tapestries, six pieces dedicated to the Royal Apotheosis, dates from the 1790s.
In total, 213 tapestries were produced. An artistic heritage of immense value.
