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Francesco Chiappelli (4 March 1890 – 2 December 1947) was an Italian artist, whose productivity spanned the first half of the XX Century. He was a painter, printmaker, engraver, as well as a professor of graphic arts at the Institute of the Arts in Florence, Italy (1931 – 1947). The institute (Istituto d'Arte di Firenze, now Istituto Statale d'Arte di Firenze) had been established in 1869, and had been recently moved (1924) to the venues it still occupies today, the original stables of the Royal Palace of the Pitti family (Pitti Palace), located immediately outside of Porta Romana, the southern-most original gate through the medieval walls of the city, and contiguous with the Boboli gardens of the Pitti palace. Chiappelli was appointed provost of the institute in 1946, and headmaster two years later. In the circles of his family and his closer friends and colleagues, he liked to be known as Cecco. He died in Florence from complications of a long-standing gastrointestinal disease on 2 Dec. 1947.

Biography & Genealogy

Biographical Notes: Francesco (Cecco) Chiappelli was born in the family mansion (Palazzo Chiappelli, the late-medieval palace Buonaccorsi, henceforth known as palace Chiappelli, located on the “Corso”: corso Vittorio Emanuele, 34-36, today corso Giovanni Amendola) in Pistoia, Italy on the 4th of March 1890 from Luigi Chiappelli (1855-1936) and Maria Castellini (1867-1891). He was raised in Pistoia, and graduated from the Forteguerri high school (today, the Forteguerriana library, Piazza della Sapienza, 5) in Pistoia on Oct. 13th 1906, with a major in classics and the arts. Chiappelli immediately entered the painting studio of Raffaello Sorbi (1844-1931) in Florence. By1908, Chiappelli enrolled in the Florence Institute of Fine Arts (Istituto delle Belle Arti), and graduated in late 1912. He then briefly joined the Florentine engraving school, established by Francesco Gioli (1846-1922) and Ludovico Tommasi (1866-1941), and dedicated to their teacher, Giovanni Fattori (1825-1908), where, under the guidance of Tommasi and Celestino Celestini (1882-1961), Chiappelli mastered his exquisite technique and mastered his elegant and energetic artistic style (academic year 1913-1914). His prolific productivity emerged, and Chiappelli produced several remarkable works, primarily in the domain of etching. He exhibited several of them with success, among which La Stazione Ferroviaria and La Certosa di Firenze were particularly highly regarded at the 1914 bi-annual exposition in Venice (section Bianco e Nero [cat., p. 55, n. 26]). His brilliant early burst of creative endeavor was interrupted by the first World War, in which Francesco served in the Royal Italian airforce. Between 1908 and the beginning of the 1914 first world war, the young Chiappelli had joined his father, Luigi on many travels across Europe, visiting museums and establishing an elite network among the artists of Paris, Berlin, Vienna and other European cities. Summers were leisurely spent at the St. Alessio villa (now in via di Mezzomonte, 1, Sant Alessio), which had been part of dowry of his grand-mother Clementina Sozzifanti. At war end, Chiappelli resumed his civilian activities, and married, on the 25th of January 1920, in the church of St Paul in Pistoia across the street from the Palazzo Chiappelli, Maria Luigia (24 January 1902 – 9 July 1961), daughter of Ludwig von Zdekauer (1955-1924). Ludwig was the nephew of Nicolai Zdekauer (1814-1897), a renown Russian medical doctor of Bohemian extraction assigned for decades on the medical staff to the last Tsars, Alexander II (1818-1881), Alexander III (1845–1894) and his son Nicholas II (1868-1918). Ludwig had immigrated to Italy from Prag, and married Clarice Simboli (1872-1961) of Macerata, Italy. In the mid 1920’s Francesco and Maria settled as a young couple in a small apartment in the center of Florence (viale Luigi Alemanni, 21, 1st floor), which he had inherited from his maternal grand-mother, Amabile Castellini, Following the financial collapse of the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, and the emergence of the Fascist regime, Chiappelli was forced to sell St. Alessio hastily, as well as Palazzo Chiappelli, and the remaining Chiappelli estates about Pistoia, including the lands at Chiesina Uzzanese. With the net proceeds, he bought a three-story singli family house, which was to become the Chiappelli family house in Florence, located in viale dei Mille 56-58. His father Luigi, his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ludwig and Clarice, and his grand-mother, Amabile came to reside as well until their respective passing. Maria, his wife, would continue to reside in that house until her death, close to 15 years after he had passed away. The couple had three sons: Fredi Luigi (24 January 1921 – 22 March 1991), professor of Italian literature, who married the countess Aymerica Bollati Nobili de Toma (21 September 1919 – 14 February 1992) on 1 December 1946, emigrated to Switzerland and eventually to the United States (1969) where he died, Giorgio (25 December 1924 – 28 May 1928), who died of a symptomatology akin to Lyme disease, and Alberto Massimo (31 January 1928 – 11 August 1962), architect, who died from heart disease. The home in viale dei Mille was only a few blocks from the newly rebuilt catholic church of the Sette Santi Fondatori (the Seven Holy Founders), which would become the family church onward from 14 March 1937, when it was established as an autonomous parish by Florence Cardinal Elia Dalla Costa (1872-1961), beloved by his flock, staunch anti-fascist, and spokesman for pro-women vote (women’s right to suffrage – women’s right to vote – was obtained in Italy on June 2, 1946, when the Italian Republic was founded). Dalla Costa, Archishop and Cardinal of Florence, from 19 December 1931 to 22 December 1961, was instrumental in articulating the anti-fascist underground movement during the war that originated in Assisi and was fueled by the Franciscan Order, and which organized the safe transit of millions of Jews out of Central Italy, including Florence and Tuscany, across Northern Italy into Switzerland, for safe refuge. Chiappelli and his family were actively involved in this clandestine process, hid and protected several Jewish families in this transit in their viale dei Mille home. During those war years that Chiappelli joined the secular order of the Tertiary Franciscans in the confraternity of the Sette Santi Fondatori, a membership he retained until after the war to his death, and last renewed for 50 Lire a few months before his passing. In 1931, Chiappelli joined the faculty of the Florence arts institute (Istituto d’Arte di Firenze), an academic post he maintained throughout and until the end of the war. In 1946, he was named provost of the institute, and in 1947 headmaster. Francesco Chiappelli died from a chronic gastrointestinal disease, akin to colitis, at 57 years of age, on the 2nd of December 1947, the opening of Advent that year, the first day of the Liturgical year. He was first laid to rest at the Florence cemetery Trespiano, where his grand-mother, Amabile, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ludwig and Clarice, still rest. Francesco’s remains were translated to the cemetery of Il Pino in the late 1950’s, per the wishes of his widow, Maria, and his last two sons, so that he may rest near his son Giorgio, who had died at a tender age. A family memorial was established, with spaces already allocated for them. At their respective passing, Maria, his widow and his third son Alberto Massimo were buried with Francesco and Giorgio in the family tomb. Fredi, the first son, also had a space pre-ordained for his remains in that family memorial, and which still carries his name, as the wish of the family was, evidently, to remain united in death. However, subsequent events have betrayed that original intent, and Fredi’s remains were cremated and buried on US soil.

Genealogical Notes: Francesco (Cecco) Angiolo Amato Clemente Alessandro Casimiro Luigi Alberto Chiappelli was born in Pistoia, Italy on the 4th of March 1890 from Luigi Chiappelli and Maria Castellini (23 October 1867), the daughter of Angiolo Castellini, and Amabile Finocchi. Angiolo Castellini was the son of Giovanni Castellini, a painter himself, and Lucrezia Boschi. Luigi and Maria had married in the chapel of Palazzo Chiappelli in Pistoia, their residence, on 10 June 1886. The couple had their first daughter, Maria Lidia, married Marano, on March 10 1887, a second daughter, Maria Pia Clementina, married Catelani, born August 17, 1888, and Cecco born March 4, 1890. The couple last child, Silvia was born January 12, 1891, but both mother and infant died shortly thereafter. Maria Castellini, married Chiappelli was laid to rest at the cemetery of the Misericordia, in Pistoia. Luigi Chiappelli (Pistoia, 2 September 1955 – Florence, 17 June 1936) was the second son of Francesco Piero Chiappelli, M.D. (Pistoia, 7 September 1816 – Pistoia, 5 January 1888) and the noble Lady Clementina of Alessandro Sozzifanti and Alessandra Rospigliosi, herself descendent of the family of Pope Clement IX (1667-1669), born Giulio Rospigliosi (28 January 1600 – 9 December 1669) of Pistoia. Luigi, a lawyer and historian of jurisprudence, his two brothers, Alberto (Pistoia, 25 September 1854 – Pistoia, 7 January 1930), and medical doctor and medical historian, and Alessandro (Pistoia, 20 November 1857 – Florence, 4 November 1931), professor of philosophy at the University of Naples, and subsequently Senator of the newly established Kingdom of Italy, founded, in collaboration with Ludwig, Baron von Zdekauer (Prag, Bohemia, 16 May 1955 – Florence, 30 April 1924), lawyer, historian of Italian medieval jurisprudence and Professor at the University of Macerata, established the renown historical society of Pistoia, (Società Pistoiese di Storia Patria), which is still prolifically active today. Upon his passing, Luigi remains were transported to Pistoia, so that he may lay side by side with his beloved wife, Maria (Misericordia, Sezione san Francesco). Alessandro also passed away at his residence in Florence (Lungarno allle Grazie), and his remains were transported to Pistoia. He rests at the Cemetery of La Vergine. Alberto died in Pistoia, and rests also at the cimitero della Misericordia, in a Chapel erected for him, his wife Giustina Niccolai (1859-1937) and their daughter Maria (1900-1913). Luigi’s parents, Francesco and Clementina rest in adjacent section of the same cemetery (Misericordia, Sezione san Francesco A). The genealogical lines of Francesco Chiappelli descend in direct line from the hamlet of Chiappore (aka, Clappore) to Saturnana and Campiglio Le Grazie in the Apennine hills of Pistoia in the XV Century. Francesco Piero, son of Luigi (Campiglio, 4 April 1794 – Santa Maria di Gora, Pistoia, 13 January 1866) who married Teresa Scappucci in Le Grazie on the 27th of August 1813), was the first of the Chiappelli line to buy real estate in the city of Pistoia (mid-1840’s). He established his medical practice there in the early 1850’s.  Francesco Piero Chiappelli had married Clementina of Alessandro Sozzifanti and Alessandra Rospigliosi on the feast of San Francis of Assisis (4 Oct.) 1853.

Artistic Production: Student of the Florentine schools of visual arts, painting and etching directed by Raffaello Sorbi first, and subsequently the School directed by the masters Tommasi and Celestini, and guided by Giovanni Fattori, Chiappelli emerged on the international scene of his art at the young age of 23. With guidance of his father-in-law, Ludwig von Zdekauer, and the assistance of the Zdekauer family relatives still residing in Prag (note: most were executed in German concentration camps during the second World War), Chiappelli showed his work at the 1913 international Veraikon exhibit in Prag. One year later, his grandiose and spectacular etching of the La Stazione Ferroviara di Firenze, and of the Certosa di Firenze were noted and highly praised by renown art critic Ugo Ojetti at the bi-annual exposition in Venice (1914). Chiappelli took part in the 1922 (catalogue, p. 34), 1924 (p. 31), 1928 (p. 103), 1930 (p. 49), 1932(p. 143), 1934 (p. 199), 1936 (p.191), and 1938 (p.147ss) bi-annual Venice expositions. He was elected to the prestigious Print Marker's Society of Los Angeles in the mid 1930’s, and his entries win both silver and gold at the 1937 Paris International exposition. Chiappelli’ exquisite painting style was well acclaimed, and led him to be the runner up at the1921 Venice competition (Opera di Soccorso), organized for the restauration of the churches destroyed by the war. In 1925, Chiappelli tied for first place in a national competition with his contribution of the center Altar piece of the Tempio della Pace in Rome, with a superb rendition of St. Francis. Also to be noted are several oils, including Donna in giallo (Pistoia museum), Ritratto del figlioAlberto, Fanciulla al sole, Natura morta, and Bambina in abito verde (Firenze, modern art gallery, Pitti museum), Natura morta (Rome, modern art gallery museum). In 1926 that Chiappelli began his series of Sguerguenze (a title meaning, in Tuscan dialect, something akin to a dry, half-serious joke). This series of realistic images of the human tragedies that surrounded Chiappelli, and that he observed and experienced in Fascist Italy and throughout the war eventually occupied much of his artistic creation for the last two decades of his life, until his death. The series consists in 31 etchings most highly praised for their artistic quality, simple elegance, and delicate balance of lines, light and shades, and today available only to collectors. The financial collapse of the late 1920's and early 1930's interrupted his creative burst, and by 1931 Chiappelli was forced to dedicate much of his time to teaching. Nevertheless and just before taking on his academic responsibilities, Chiappelli was invited by Rhodi 's Governor, Mario Lago (governorship: 1923-1936) to reside on the island in order to fix on canvas particularly breadthtaking landscapes. Much of this extraordinarily poetic productivity, whic was expressed in pencil and charcoal drawings, water colors and ouls, and etchings has been lost following the 2nd World War, following the liberation of Rodi from the Fascist occupation. Chiappelli illustrated books for adults - such as the masterpiece by Tasso, L'Aminta, and for children (or children-at-heart adults) - such as several of the books written by his wife, Maria Chiappelli Zdekauer, noted premier Italian woman writer of the early XX Century (e.g., La Stella Caduta, L’Oca Minore). In 1940, in celebration of his 50th anniversary, an exposition dedicated solely to Francesco Chiappelli's major works was held at the Gian Ferrari gallery in Milan (6-17 Jan. 1940). The latest exposition of his works was done at the gallery of Modern Art (Galleria d’Arte Moderna) at Palazzo Pitti in Florence in Fall 2000. Most of Chiappelli’s work that is not held in private collections, can be found at the Uffizzi gallery, the Pitti gallery in Florence, the museum of Castello Sforzesco in Milan, and the modern art gallery in Rome.

References

U. Ojetti, Corriere della Sera, 5 Nov. 1930 G. Stuparich, in La Stampa, Wednesday 28 Oct.1936 P. S., Quattro pittori alla galleria di Roma, in Il Messaggero (Roma), 14 Dec. 1941 D. Lotti, Poeta fra la gente, in Meridiano di Roma, 20 Apr. 1941 C. Mazzi, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani – Treccani, Vol. 24 (1980) C. A. Petrucci, Mostra retrospettiva delle incisioni di Francesco Chiappelli, Roma 1949 O. Pogliaghi & F. Chiappelli, Le incisioni di Francesco Chiappelli, Firenze 1955 A. Giuntoli, Mostra di Francesco Chiappelli in Giorn. del Mattino (Firenze), 20 Dec. 1959 H. Vollmer, Künstlerlexikon des XX. Jahrh.s, I, p. 432 A. M. Comanducci, Dizionario illustrato dei pittori, disegnatori e incisori italiani moderni e contemporanei, II, Milano 1971, p. 709. F. Chiappelli, Ricordi, Luigi Chiappelli e la raccolta della Forteguerriana, Il Tremisse Pistoiese, X, 1:56-60, 1985 F. Chiappelli, Francesco Piero Chiappelli: Un medico clinico pistoiese dell’ottocento. Rivista di Storia della Medicina, IV, XXV, 47-64, 1994.

Additional Information BNEL – Bianco e Nero Ex Libris, Associazione Italiana, Milano, 1946 Dizionario biografico degli Italiani, Treccani, Roma, Il Popolo Pistoiese, 21 March 1891, Sig. Maria Castellini ne’ Chiappelli (3rd page) Incisioni di Francesco Chiappelli, Montecatini Terme, 10-25 Aug. 1965 Oltre al Futurismo, Saletta Gonnelli, Firenze, 1995