War!

In the Torre Tesori of Palazzo Madama, one can admire parts of what must have been the mausoleum of Gaston de Foix, Duke of Nevers, nephew of the King of France. The young leader was killed while spurring his men to a final charge against the retreating Spanish army when the battle of Ravenna in 1521 was over. The mausoleum was never completed, its creator, Bambaia, donated the unused stone blocks to the Fabbrica del Duomo in Milan. One does not need to put on a pair of 3D glasses to see how the marble is bent to the will of the god Mars. In the pillars, one is struck by the unfinished parts, perfectly sculpted bodies missing their heads, flags unfurling but not indicating any side. Amorini on triumphal chariots, devils subjugated to heavy shields, Minerva's armour decorated with the head of the gorgon Medusa. Nothing is missing to celebrate the hero who died in his early twenties. Sculpted in high relief, the chariots glide over the clouds in concentric movements, coming to life, recalling the leader's nickname: 'the thunderbolt of Italy'. Crossed quivers, crests and torches, the whole military repertoire has been moulded in the whiteness of Carrara marble. The reliefs take us to the battlefields. In the first, centurions with puffed cloaks in the whirlwind of battle, towering above men with frayed breeches or curious feathered headgear, recalling Rome's victories over the barbarians. In the second, bearded soldiers with full and proud faces crowd behind culverins, perhaps a reference to the fatal battle of Ravenna, which will be remembered as one of the bloodiest in history. Perhaps the neighing of horses, the shouts of soldiers and the acrid smell of spilled blood can still be heard on the fertile plain.

• The work: Busti Agostino known as Bambaja, Battle with mounted soldiers, 1515-1523, Palazzo Madama, Turin
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