Restored in 1995 and in 1999 with funding from The James R. Dougherty, Jr. Foundation, through Beatrice Rossi-Landi, Trustee.

These tapestries in the Giorgio Cini Foundation’s Sala degli Arazzi are remarkable examples of the fine craftsmanship of Flemish tapestry ateliers in and around Brussels. They depict episodes from the life of Roman general Scipio Africanus Major (“the Elder”), the most celebrated Roman general after Julius Caesar; the stories loosely reflect textual sources such as Livy’s Roman History and Petrarch’s Africa. Scipio won victories in Spain and North Africa against the Carthaginians that brought the Second Punic War (218–202 BCE) to a close. These stories of heroic deeds from the ancient world were meant to serve as exemplaria — virtuous examples to be heeded — in the tradition of commemorating famous men in tapestry, sculpture, and painting.

Of the four episodes represented in the Cini series, only the Continence of Scipio was a common subject in Renaissance art. This tapestry was produced in the city of Enghien, while the other three were all woven in the atelier of Maertin II Reymbouts in Brussels.

The tapestries were restored by conservators from the Morasutti-Amistani firm in Padua, with the guidance of project director Fiorella Spadavecchia of the Superintendency of Fine Arts of Venice.

For select projects, conservation dossiers in Italian containing limited textual and photographic documentation may be available for consultation by appointment at the Venice office of Save Venice and the Rosand Library & Study Center. For inquiries, please contact us at venice@savevenice.org.

Atelier of Maerten II Reymbouts, Brussels; unidentified tapestry atelier, Enghien
Four tapestries with scenes from the life of Scipio Africanus
c. 1580, wool and silk

The Election of Scipio as Aedile
348 x 320 cm

Scipio freeing Massiva, Prince of Numidia
355.6 x 320 cm

Scipio Concluding an Alliance with Siface, King of the Massili, Against the Carthaginians
347 x 261.6 cm

The Continence of Scipio
348 x 378.4 cm

Fondazione Giorgio Cini
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