Ca’ del Bosco and Venetian Heritage Foundation “restore” Assumption of the Virgin by Moretto

Ca’ del Bosco, the jewel of Franciacorta created by the Zanella family, with Maurizio Zanella as president, has been one of the pioneering wineries of the movement which saw many names (from Castello di Ama to Planeta, from Ceretto to Carapace-Tenute Lunelli to Feudi di San Gregorio, from Fontanafredda to Lungarotti and CastelGiocondo, and not only) invest in the promotion of contemporary art. A “tangible” connection throughout the splendid estate in Erbusco, where, right from the entrance, visitors are welcomed by the “Cancello Solare”, the work commissioned from Arnaldo Pomodoro in 1985, which opens onto a true open-air art gallery spread across the outdoor spaces and the cellar, featuring works of absolute value such as, among others, “Eroi di luce” by Igor Mitoraj, “Codice Genetico” by Rabarama, “Il peso del tempo sospeso” by Stefano Bombardieri, “Blue Guardians” by Cracking Art, “Water in dripping” by Zheng Lu, “Il Testimone” by Mimmo Paladino, and “Sound of Marble” by Tsuyoshi Tane, and, since 2024, “handandland” by Irene Coppola, winner of the first edition of the “Ca’ del Bosco Sculpture Prize”, dedicated to artists under 40, whose second edition is currently underway.
But, now, the Franciacorta winery has decided to also take care of art from the past, announcing, together with the Venetian Heritage Foundation, the start of restoration work on the canvas depicting Assunzione della Vergine - the Assumption of the Virgin, painted between 1524 and 1526 by Alessandro Bonvicino, known as Il Moretto, located on the main altar of the Old Cathedral in Brescia, on the 500th anniversary of the creation of the altarpiece. The work, promoted and supported by Ca’ del Bosco (with a significant contribution, exceeding 100,000 euros, according to Winenews) and the Venetian Heritage Foundation, under the patronage of the Diocese of Brescia, will be coordinated scientifically and organizationally by Davide Dotti and carried out by the Antonio Zaccaria restoration laboratory.
Due to the large size of the canvas (472 by 310 centimeters), placed 4.5 meters high and framed by a monumental carved, polychrome, and gilded wooden structure, which will also be restored, it was decided to carry out the intervention on-site, explains a note, to avoid transport and excessive handling that could cause thermo-hygrometric variations.
“Ca’ del Bosco’s connection - affirms Maurizio Zanella, founder and president of Ca’ del Bosco - with the world of art and sculpture, in particular, is well known at this point. This is the first time we have dedicated ourselves to ancient art, contributing to the restoration of a work of deep symbolic value for the city of Brescia. I am also pleased to continue the collaboration with Venetian Heritage beyond the Ca’ del Bosco Sculpture Prize, now in its second edition. The work that the Foundation and its director, Toto Bergamo Rossi, carry out on Venetian artistic and cultural heritage derives from the same motivations that guide Ca’ del Bosco patronage: a Renaissance which builds the culture of the future through the avant-garde insights of the new generations involved in this project. The motto of Venetian Heritage is “Restoring the past, building the future”, a concept not far from the balance between tradition and innovation that has always guided the rebirth of our wine culture”.
“It is an honor for me and for the Foundation I direct - declares Toto (Francesco) Bergamo Rossi, director of Venetian Heritage - to forge a partnership with an Italian excellence like Ca’ del Bosco. Since 1999, Venetian Heritage has promoted Venetian culture through a vast campaign of restoration interventions carried out in Venice and in territories that were once part of the Serenissima Republic. Brescia was an integral part of the Venetian domains from 1426 until the Napoleonic invasion in 1797. The altarpiece of the Old Cathedral clearly shows how the Venetian painting of the great Titian influenced the young Alessandro Bonvicino, known as Il Moretto”. The Assumption altarpiece, a youthful masterpiece by Moretto, consists of two overlapping narrative planes, separated - as per tradition in the altarpieces of the Brescian master - by a layer of clouds. In the upper part, there is the Virgin. At her sides, emerging from the clouds, there are four angels, behind whom a dense host of cherubs can be seen. In the lower section, the twelve apostles, whose gestures reveal an attitude of great astonishment and devotion, watch Mary ascend to heaven. The imminent restoration work will focus on cleaning the surface and strengthening the structure. These have already been preceded by a series of non-invasive diagnostic investigations that revealed the state of conservation of the painting and interesting discoveries such as traces of brush drawing and various adjustments made during execution. To allow the public to closely follow the restoration in progress, a calendar of visits to the “Moretto site” will be organized.
“Not only from an artistic point of view but also from a spiritual and religious perspective, this restoration gives relevance and visibility to the history of our city  - recalls Monsignor Gianluca Gerbino, parish priest of the Cathedral -  the theological and religious meanings help everyone discover art as an expression of feelings and faith, not only of the faithful but also of the artist himself. This has allowed, throughout history, the opening and appreciation of the contents of faith, read and explained in the liturgy, but also rendered tangible by painting. Moreover, this painting by Moretto, so fine and precious, will be returned even closer and more appreciable to each of us thanks to the recovery that will be carried out in the coming months. My thanks to all those who, not without difficulty, made this work possible”.
“It is a great honor - underlines Davide Dotti - to coordinate scientifically and organizationally an event of such high artistic and cultural significance as the restoration of one of the most important works of Moretto early maturity, to be counted among the protagonists of Italian Renaissance painting. The altarpiece with the Assumption of the Virgin is not only a masterpiece of art history which enjoyed wide critical acclaim over the centuries but is also a symbol for all the people of Brescia, both lay and devout, preserved in one of the city most iconic places”.
A new important commitment in the world of art, and yet another investment in the territory by Ca’ del Bosco, today among the leading companies in the production of Franciacorta, “a position achieved thanks to the enthusiasm, passion, research, effort, and work of Maurizio Zanella and continued with the entry of the Marzotto family in 1994 (today heading Herita Marzotto Wine Estates, which, in addition to Ca’ del Bosco, brings together some of the most important Italian wine estates, from Santa Margherita in Veneto to Kettmeir in South Tyrol, from Lamole di Lamole and Vistarenni in Chianti Classico to Cà Maiol in Lugana, from Torresella in Eastern Veneto to Sassoregale in Maremma, from Cantine Mesa in Sardinia to Roco Winery in Oregon), which transformed a house in a chestnut grove into one of the most modern and advanced wineries. With a single principle which governs and defines all production, from vineyard selection to cellar activities: quality. Or rather, only the highest level of quality: excellence.