La villa Querini di Mira Porte e il mistero dei suoi affreschi
abstract
Villa Querini at Mira Porte is known for the valuable frescoes that adorn it. Relying on the claim that the villa belonged to the Querini Stampalia, scholars attributed the frescoes to artists related to the family, such as Palma il Vecchio, Bonifacio de’ Pitati, Schiavone, Tintoretto, Palma il Giovane. Recent restorations revealed the signature of Bonifacio and the date 1540. I show that the villa belonged instead to the Querini San Leonardo, who bought it in 1586. This finding raises two questions: who painted the frescoes? How to explain Bonifacio’s signature and the many references in the frescoes to the Querini Stampalia?
Keywords: Querini San Leonardo • Mira Porte • Villa Querini • Renaissance villas • Bonifacio de’ Pitati • Querini Stampalia