The precious Jewel was made of silver plates on a wood frame. It was completed in 1578. It's not certain that Andrea Palladio created the model, but the bond between two Bishops of Vicenza suggests that Palladio's role as director of city life was more important than his role as architect. For him, the Jewel might have represented his mental conception of the city of Vicenza. It can possibly be attributed to a goldsmith of the Capobianco family, as is supported by a document found in 2012 in the "Sanctuary of the Madonna" of Monte Berico. The citizens offered the Jewel as an ex-voto to the "Madonna of Mount Berico" in order to avoid the Plague of Saint Charles Borromeo that had spread two years before in the Duchy of Milan with some infection cases in the western cities of the Republic of Venice and up to Verona. Despite poor conditions, the citizenship united and provided a modest gift from each family. Vicenza was spared, so the Jewel was initially displayed in the church of Monte Berico next to the "Santuario della Madonna di Monte Berico". Between the 17th and the 18th century, six oil paintings were made that represented the first patron saint of the city, Saint Vincent, holding the silver Jewel in his hands. The paintings that portray Saint Vincent holding the precious model are the main evidence we have of the model's appearance. The paintings show the Jewel from different points of view, which provides information about its three-dimensional form. The model is a main element in each of the pictures; Vicenza is seen from the front, offered by Saint Vincent, and enclosed in its medieval walls. In that period, the distinction between the borghi over the walls and the inner part of the city, nowadays the Old Town of Vicenza, already existed. Under the Napoleonic government, the French troops looted Vicenza of cultural artifacts in 1797, as they did throughout most of Italy. The armée française, having seized the Sanctuary, brought the Jewel of Vicenza back to France because they thought it was completely made out of silver. They attempted to melt the model down, but it burned instead, as it was made of wood and only covered by a silver coating. With its destruction, Vicenza lost an important artifact from its century-long history of goldsmithing.
Reconstruction
In May 2010, a Committee for the Jewel of Vicenza was founded with the support of the Office of Cultural Heritage and other local institutions. The committee held a competition for a virtual restoration of the Jewel. The competition was won by the architect Romano Concato from Trissino, who compensated for the absence of original drawings by studying two paintings by Francesco Maffei and two others by Alessandro Maganza. The reconstruction was also developed by referencing medieval planimetrics of the city, the Pianta Angelica, designed by Giovanni Pittoni in 1580. In 2011, the Committee began the second part of its project—a collection of silver donations in order to recreate the model for Vicenza, as happened for the ancient ex-voto. The collection had 66 lbs as its minimum target. In 2012, more than 110 lbs of silver were collected, but ten of the most important goldsmiths of the city went on collecting until 25 December, to create additional funds for the reconstruction and its display.
Features
The new Jewel of Vicenza is a large round silver tray with a diameter of 58 cm that supports more than 300 models of Vicenza buildings. Sixty-one of the models represent buildings of historical importance, such as the Basilica Palladiana, the Cathedral, the Torre Bissara, and dozens of churches. In the center of Piazza dei Signori, a gold model of the Rua was added, unannounced. The reconstruction of the Jewel was designed by proportioning the models using the golden ratio and studying the size of buildings from the time of its original construction so the three-dimensional reconstruction could be as close to the original as possible. The reconstruction started with small sculptures in modelled wax that served as a model for subsequent casting. The cast elements were then finished and embellished with chiseling and engraving. The model is made of 925/1000 silver. The final weight was 33 lbs ; and the total effort took around 2,000 hours of work.
Presentation
On 15 June 2012 in Piazza dei Signori an official presentation on the reconstruction was held. Afterwards, the work began, combining the craftsmanship of silversmith Carlo Rossi and the sophisticated laser technology offered by a company in Bressanvido. In September 2012, at the Gallerie di Palazzo Leoni Montanari the finished tray was presented with its first complete building, the Church of San Lorenzo. From 6 April to 9 June 2013, halfway through the reconstruction, the Jewel was exhibited at the Diocesan Museum with the support of FAI. In the summer of 2013 the Jewel was completed; it was returned to the citizens for the town's patronal feast on 7 September. The reconstruction was included in the usual procession to the Basilica of St. Mary of Mount Berico in an official ceremony that had 30,000 participants. The Jewel is now permanently housed at the Diocesan Museum and placed next to the painting by Maffei, San Vincenzo with the model of the city of Vicenza. In 2015, the Jewel was exhibited at Expo 2015 in Milan. At the exhibition, silversmith Carlo Rossi was awarded the Confartigianato Design Award 2015 for his creation of the reconstruction.
