Restoration of the funeral monument to Louise of Stolberg-Gedern

The presentation will be by Stefano Filipponi, Secretary General of the Opera di Santa Croce; Eleonora Mazzocchi, curator of the Opera di Santa Croce; the art restorer Paola Rosa and the donor Donna Malin who made the restoration possible.

This will be followed by a guided tour Santa Croce in Rosa (in Italian, by reservation only) dedicated to the discovery of great female figures buried in Santa Croce. Their story will unfold during an unusual itinerary in which women of all ranks and occupations gain a voice and bear witness to some of the most engaging stories of artistic passion, spiritual and political commitment.

Entrance is free upon reservation, however places are currently sold out.

The monumental tomb of Louise of Stolberg-Gedern, Countess of Albany was built between 1824 and 1839 by Luigi Giovannozzi and Emilio Santarelli and was located in the right transept of the Basilica, on the left wall of the Castellani chapel six years after her death.

The elegant, fifteenth century architectural layout is reminiscent of ancient monuments and houses two pensive winged funerary Geniuses of tender childlike forms. The two Geniuses are placed on the sides of a cippus, on which is carved in bas-relief on the front the Virtues (Faith, Hope and Charity) representing those of the illustrious deceased.

In the lunette inside the upper arch we can observe the coats of arms of the Stolbergs and Stuarts, supported by a crowned lion and a unicorn. On the tombstone in the centre of the base there is an inscription made of pure gold which recalls the incomparable qualities of the countess who died in 1824 at the age of 72.

Born to a family of German aristocrats, Louise of Stolberg-Gedern was a protégé of Maria Theresa of Austria, who provided her with a convent education, a modest income and a suitable arranged marriage. In 1772, Louise was chosen to marry Charles Edward Stuart, thirty years her senior, considered the rightful heir to the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland.

The union soon proved to be a failure and dangerous for Louise's life, and thanks to her diplomatic skills she appealed to the Grand Duke Peter Leopold, the Cardinal of York and Gustav III of Sweden to obtain a legal separation, as well as an annuity that would allow her to maintain her independence and economic well-being. It was an audacious choice for an 18th century woman, who risked becoming a social outcast, given that her husband's violent nature could not necessarily be a sufficient justification for the society of the time.

Once the separation was obtained, Louise of Stolberg-Gedern moved first to Paris and then to Florence together with her partner, the poet Vittorio Alfieri. In Florence, at Palazzo Gianfigliazzi, she created one of the most popular literary salons in the city frequented by Canova, Lord Byron, Chateaubriand and many other famous artists of the time.

When Vittorio Alfieri died in 1803, Louise commissioned the celebrated sculptor Antonio Canova to produce the monumental tomb in Santa Croce.

New York lawyer, Donna Malin retired from Johnson & Johnson after an intense thirty-year career. During her career, in addition to her legal work, she has dedicated herself to mentoring and promoting the professional and personal development of women. She was for several years vice president of Women in Need, Inc. (WIN), a nonprofit organization that helps homeless women and children in New York to rebuild their lives and to break the cycle of homelessness.

Donna first visited Florence as a teenager and fell in love with the city. Afterwards, she returned annually and now resides there for several months each year. In 2014 she began to follow the activities of the Opera di Santa Croce, supporting various restoration projects (the tombs of Michelangelo and that of Machiavelli, the loggia of the Pazzi Chapel, the funeral monument to Louise of Stolberg-Gedern). She also financed a publication entitled American Reflections, dedicated to the deep bond that unites Santa Croce with the United States.