Insight: the frescoes of Rodengo Abbey

The three cloisters of theOlivetan Abbey of Rodengo Saiano introduce us to spectacular frescoed rooms. Without pretending to give you a complete list, here are the works that most enchanted us.

The frescoes of the Antirefectory

The Antirefectory, was frescoed in 1561 by the celebrated Brescian Mannerist Lattanzio Gambara and is considered one of Franciacorta's masterpieces. The ceiling frescoes tell stories of Salvation from the Old Testament and the Apocalypse, while monochrome cherubs and festoons decorate the walls.

The trompe l'oeil loggia of the Refectory.

This room anticipates the grandeur of the refectory, with the spectacular faux loggia on the ceiling from which numerous figures in typical Baroque taste look out. Before leaving, look for the point in the room where the columns painted on the ceiling all appear straight and do not make one perceive the curvature due to the conformation of the vault. The two painters, Sandrini and Cossali, were truly masters of perspective! But in the refectory there still remains something older, predating the Baroque makeover: in fact, on the opposite wall stands out a beautiful Crucifixion in 15th-century taste, with the cross silhouetted against an intense blue sky and against the background of a fantastic castle. "Silentium" recalls the inscription at the base of the painting.

Romanino in the Refectory of the Foresteria

There is one more thing we absolutely cannot miss: the Refectory of the guest quarters. Here we find what remains of a pictorial cycle attributed to the great Brescian painter Girolamo Romanino (1484-1559). The theme is undoubtedly that of hospitality, as confirmed by the frescoes now torn off and preserved in the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo in Brescia. We are struck by the Pantry with dishes and crockery displayed on shelves, more than appropriate in the refectory, and theMeeting of Jesus with the Samaritan Woman at the Well for the intense gazes and gestures. In the lunette, above, a sweet Madonna and Child, St. John the Baptist child and the lamb watch over the room.