ON HOLD
NECESSARY PREMISE. THIS FIREPLACE IS PUBLISHED IN AS MANY AS THREE SECTIONS:
(A) IN THE VARIOUS STYLES SECTION, WHERE WE PUBLISH FIREPLACES OF LIMITED STYLISTIC NICHES;
B) IN THE ART DECO SECTION BECAUSE IN THIS STYLISTIC PERIOD THE “DESIGNERS” OF THE TIME TOOK IT UP A GREAT DEAL AND IN DECO FURNISHINGS OUR SPECIMEN WOULD MAKE IT KING;
C) IN THE HIGH-RANGE FARIEPLACES SECTION BECAUSE, WHETHER FOR ITS POWERFUL PERSONALITY OR FOR ITS UNOBTAINABLE MARBLE FABRIC, IT HAS EVERY RIGHT TO ENTER THIS EXCLUSIVE SECTION.
It is very difficult to engage in the commentary of such a fireplace for the reasons I write below:
A) Its dimensions can only be understood by seeing it de visu. Rather than “generous,” its measurements can be called, just to try to understand, “castle-like.” Such a fireplace might well figure in halls that are very wide and of very high ceiling.... In short, perhaps I can clarify this issue better by giving this example: Placing this frame in rooms with the classic height of 270-280 cm, those entering would struggle not to smile.. If, on the other hand, you placed this fireplace, I don't know, in Versailles, well, no one would find anything to complain about, the proportion between this fantastic frame and the surrounding setting would appear congruous.
IN SHORT, OUR FIREPLACE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LIVE EXCEPT IN LARGE, HIGH-CEILINGED ROOMS;
B) The quality of its marble, which sees a background of purest Carrara Statuary “dressed” in frezzature in shades of bleu, also should be enjoyed “de visu” and not through the medium of some of our photographs. Its name, as you might imagine, refers to the Florentine Medici family, but more precisely it should be said that it was Cosimo de Medici, the founder of this dynasty, who fell head over heels in love with this quality of Carrara Statuary (because it is of this great and noble family that our marble is part of) to donate (goodness him) his own imprimatur. IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE MARBLES OF THIS PARTICULAR SPECIMEN COME FROM THE QUARRY OF SERRAVEZZA, WHICH WAS, IN FACT, OWNED BY OUR COSIMO.
HAVING MADE THIS PREMISE WITH THE RELATED INDISPENSABLE INVITATION TO SEE DE VISU THESE FASCINATING MARBLES, LET US COME TO A FEW HISTORICAL HINTS TO MAKE CLEAR THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS QUARRY.
This historical aspect, too, brings us back to Cosimo, who, being the owner (as I wrote above) of the Seravezza quarries (from which our marble was derived) made this variegated marble one of the symbols of his power, having it used in the choir of Florence Cathedral, in the Pitti Palace and, of course, in the Medici Chapels.
Other rulers of Florence used the Medicean Breccia to have the two obelisks in Piazza Santa Maria Novella, the column in Piazza San Felice and the Fountain of Neptune in Piazza della Signoria made .
TODAY, I AM TOLD, SOME MARBLE BLOCKS “SIMILAR” TO THIS CAN BE FOUND IN THE STAZZEMA QUARRY BUT. WE SPEAK, PRECISELY, OF “SIMILARITIES” AND NOT “SAME LEVEL.”
PROVENANCE: FLORENCE, PERIOD: SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY, PERFECT PRESERVATION.
