Vatican Museums

In the first half of the last century, many Italian artists took their art and their expertise to the Christian shrines in the Holy Land. This volume, available in Italian, extensively documents the work that, under the wise guidance of the engineer Antonio Barluzzi, testified to the fervent desire for cultural and religious renewal.
Long and complex archival research enabled this entirely Italian endeavour to be retraced rigorously, often through the recovery of previously unpublished material, hitherto considered lost.

Against the backdrop of Barluzzi’s “command” and exploring the creative particularities of each artist (including Mario Barberis, Luigi Trifoglio, Giulio Aristide Sartorio, Biagio Biagetti, Duilio Cambellotti and many others), the book analyses the architecture, the paintings, the sculptures and the various decorations in places of worship, as well as restoration works: from the Basilica of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, to the Church of the Agony in Gethsemane, and including the shrine of the Flagellation in Jerusalem.

This is followed by biographies of the artists and some interesting details: the study of the work of Antonio Barluzzi, historical events in Palestine during the Ottoman Empire up to the constitution of the State of Israel and finally, the biography of the eclectic engineer.