Marzia Banci, Francesco Maria II Della Rovere
Brooch, 2023, sterling silver, painted silver, burnished 750 gold, w 7.4 cm × h 7.5 cm
A tribute to Francesco Maria II Della Rovere, the square brooch is made of burnished gold with an overlapping silver plate on one side.
In the middle, the penetrating eyes of the Duke stand out from the severe, pointy shapes that allude to armour. Indeed, Francesco Maria had to armour himself to safeguard his Duchy and his family. When he became duke in 1574, his first task was to lower the taxes his father had levied on his subjects and sell some estate to improve the duchy budget, emphasising his wish to improve his relationship with his people. His efforts, his improvement of the duchy finances and his helpfulness towards his subjects made him one of the best-loved Della Rovere dukes.
Marzia Banci, Federico Ubaldo Della Rovere
Brooch, 2023, sterling silver, painted silver, 750 gold, Ø 8 cm
The brooch that pays homage to the last descendant of the Title of Urbino, Federico Ubaldo Della Rovere, is circular, the painted eyes of the young Duke in the middle of two irregular, embossed silver plates divided by a central yellow gold plate.
Although Federico Ubaldo should have ensured the continuity of the family, several events and his premature death actually contributed to its extinction. In 1631 pope Urban VIII annexed Urbino to the Papal States.
Marzia Banci, Bas-reliefs of the Ducal Palaces
Brooches, 2023, sterling silver, chrysoprase, w 7 cm × h 6 cm.
The brooches are a tribute to the places where the dukes lived during their rule. Their rectangular base is contained within a narrow open frame whose right corner is open. The frame is a ray of light that encloses and illuminates the façade of each ducal palace.
In the middle of each brooch a bas-relief stands on a stone or a mineral: The Ducal Palace of Casteldurante on chrysoprase.
The bas-reliefs were cast after careful reconstruction of their wax image.
