A Mannerist Angelic Concert: The Assumption of Santa Maria in Agro at Pallanza

• Published in: RIdIM/RCMI Newsletter 1996-10, Vol.21 (2), p.39
• Main Author: Baroncini, Rodolfo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1522-7464; 0360-8727; 2169-9488

Situated near the towns of Suna and Pallanza, on the west bank of Lake Maggiore, the church of S. Maria in Agro (better known as Madonna diCampagna) was built in 1526 and consecrated in 1547. The frescoes in the presbytery and apse (1576-77), painted by Aurelio Luini and Carlo Urbino, show the Virgin surrounded by a group of flying angels in attitudes of prayer. Below, on each side, are depicted two choirs of angel musicians,of seven members each not counting a few secondary figures. The ensemble on the left consists of a lute, shawm, cornett, buccina, violin, bass violin, and organ; the ensemble on the right includes a trombone, lute, portative harp, flute, violin, and viol. It appears that the two ensemblesare not so much naturalistic representations of instrumental practice as totally artificial groups. However, they consist of small homogeneous groupings and each of them, considered on its own merits, is very realistic and characteristic of contemporary instrumental practice. Though the representations of instruments are reasonably true to life, there are inconsistences and distortions such as the inverted order of the organ pipes or distorted dimensions of some instruments.