Feriae Augusti: the ancient Ferragosto between the Roman Empire and the Church
The term Ferragosto comes from the Latin phrase feriae Augusti (rest of Augustus) indicating a holiday established by Emperor Augustus in 18 BC that was added to the existing and ancient holidays falling in the same month, such as Vinalia rustica or Consualia, to celebrate the harvest and the end of the main agricultural works.
The ancient Ferragosto, in addition to the obvious purposes of political self-promotion, was intended to connect the main August holidays to provide an adequate period of rest, also called Augustali, necessary after the great efforts made during the previous weeks.
Originally, it was celebrated on August 1st. Thanks to the will of the Church, the date was moved and made to coincide with the Assumption of Mary.
August 15, the feast of the Assumption of Mary, has been immortalized over the centuries by the greatest artists. Among them, Tiziano Vecellio (1488-1576). Titian's most famous Assumption is in Venice at the high altar in the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. It is the year 1516 and the young Titian, just twenty-six years old, the official painter of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, receives the important commission. Here Titian produces a painting without architecture, only figures hovering in space. Below, the apostles look up at Mary and God the Father in a sky blazing with light, while the wind makes the red dress and the blue cloak of the virgin flutter. The result is a strong combination of action and color.
This was a turbulent time for the church. In 1517, the Protestant Reformation was born with Martin Luther. The Counter-Reformation followed. Evidently, we are not far from the Council of Trent, which had strong repercussions on art. In fact, works with sacred subjects must undergo strict control.
In 1532, Titian produced another Assumption of Mary for the Cathedral of Verona. This time the altarpiece is inserted in a slightly more complex architecture in the first altar to the left of the entrance. The chapel was designed by Jacopo Sansovino to house this very altarpiece.
This is another version of the famous subject of the Assumption, reinterpreted in the light of the Counter-Reformation context: compared to the magnificent Venetian version of 1516-18, here Titian adopts a more sober, clear and didactic composition, easier for the faithful to read.
The scene is divided into two parts. Below, the apostles gathered around an empty tombstone are in a state of agitation and great movement as they witness the Assumption of Mary above. The apostle Thomas holds the belt that the Virgin dropped. This detail does not appear in Titian's more famous Assumption at the Frari in Venice, but is central in the Veronese version. It serves to strengthen the bond between the heavenly miracle and earthly reality, in line with the catechetical aims of the Counter-Reformation
The Virgin, surrounded by clouds and a partially golden sky, has a calmer appearance than that of the Frari. Even the colors are calmer. The Virgin's dress is pink, no longer a bright red as in the Assumption of the Frari. The cloak that completely envelops her remains blue.
In Italy, August 15 is a religious holiday, but it's also a day synonymous with vacation.
That's why it's a tradition to take a *trip out of town* especially in the hills or countryside in the company of friends or relatives.
