The Pala Genova of Pieve di Cadore

The Pala Genova of Pieve di Cadore
A painting of Francesco Vecellio

An invisible red thread connects a private narrative from our time to a painting which was first displayed to public devotion 500 years ago. Following a providential restoration made possible by a most generous benefactor in memory of his ancestor who had auspicated divine protection for himself and his offspring, the Pala Genova (“The Genova altar piece) is now back to its place in the church of Santa Maria Nascente, Pieve di Cadore. This volume retraces the history of the Pala Genova by means of archival sources as well as a reading of the work itself, the context in which it was first produced, and its critical reception. 

This volume provides an in-depth analysis of the Pala Genova containing a persuasive hypothesis: Francesco Vecellio, born in Pieve and the brother of Titian, executed (also) this altarpiece working in his brother’s artistic shadow. Additionally, it contains a study of the chapel’s history and restoration, as well as a survey of the visitors who in the course of time got interested in both the Dolomites and the Pala Genova. The three studies are the work of, respectively, Alessandra Cusinato, Letizia Lonzi, Antonio Genova. The conclusive article, a detailed account of the restoration by Thierry Radelet, completes this investigation into an essential component of the Pieve di Cadore artistic heritage, while also offering a picture of the religious spirit of the time and the family whose name continues to remain connected with the Pala Genova.