Eucharistic Tabernacle with Ginori Family Coat of Arms

The aedicule tabernacle is made of glazed terracotta and features a shell-valve crowning at the top. In the center, there is a chalice with a Christ Child standing on it. On either side of the chalice are two winged putti in adoration of the blessing Redeemer. Above the entablature are five cherub heads connected by garlands. The sides have two pilasters decorated with bouquets of foliage and fruit emerging from ansati vases. The central compartment depicts a coffered barrel vault with a curtain and crown at the top. Below, there was originally a door for the Eucharistic chalice, possibly flanked by two angels, similar to other artifacts of this kind. The original central representation has been replaced by an architectural sketch made during a modern restoration that occurred after the tabernacle was transferred to the Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia. This period also marks the addition of the two capitals crowning the side pilasters. These elements were absent in the photograph featured in Allan Marquand's 1920 repertory dedicated to sculptures by Giovanni della Robbia (1469–1529/1530). 
At the base of the central compartment is the inscription “HIC EST PA(N)IS V(I)V(US) Q(UI) D(E) C(OE)L(O) DESCE(N)DIT,” accompanied by a small roundel decorated with a garland, currently housing a mirror which was likely added recently. In the antependium, between two cornucopias filled with fruit, there is a garland containing a coat of arms on a blue field crossed diagonally by a yellow band with three blue stars in the center, representing the ancient Florentine Ginori family, who are believed to have commissioned the artifact. The tabernacle became part of Palazzo Venezia’s collections in August 1920 after being transferred by the Museo Nazionale del Bargello along with a group of works deemed replicas or in less than optimal condition. Prior to this, until June 6, 1895, it was located at the National Academy of Art in Florence, as indicated by the documentation held at the Museo del Bargello.
The tabernacle is of a type that can be attributed to Giovanni della Robbia’s workshop. Notable examples include the tabernacle with the coats of arms of the Magalotti and Rinuccini families, housed in the Bargello Museum in Florence, as well as the Tabernacle of the Sacrament in the church of San Leolino in Panzano (Greve; Gentilini 1992, pp. 322–323, p. 327, n. 6; Domestici 1998, pp. 260–261, III.5). The motif of Christ elevated on the chalice and accompanied by two angels can be observed in the tabernacle of the cathedral of Barga (Gentilini 1992, p. 280). This dates back to the early stages of the sculptor’s career and was influenced by Desiderio da Settignano’s work for the church of San Lorenzo in Florence (1461), which probably served as a prototype for Della Robbia’s design. The piece at Palazzo Venezia exemplifies Giovanni's characteristic popular and exuberant style, reflecting a more independent phase compared to his father Andrea’s creations, and is estimated to have been produced between the second and third decades of the sixteenth century. 
We express our appreciation to Giancarlo Gentilini for sharing his valuable insights.

Virna Ravaglia

Entry published on 12 June 2025

Fair.

“HIC EST PA(N)IS V(I)V(US) Q(UI) D(E) C(OE)L(O) DESCE(N)DIT.”

Florence, Accademia di Bella Arti di Firenze;
Florence, Museo Nazionale del Bargello;
Rome, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia.

Marquand Allan, Giovanni della Robbia, Princeton 1920, p. 98, n. 95;
Gentilini Giancarlo, I della Robbia. La scultura invetriata nel Rinascimento, Firenze 1992, p. 280; pp. 321-327;
Domestici Fiamma, III. 5 - Giovanni della Robbia. Tabernacolo eucaristico, in Gentilini Giancarlo (a cura di), I Della Robbia e l’“arte nuova” della scultura invetriata, catalogo della mostra (Fiesole, Basilica di Sant'Alessandro, 29 maggio-1 novembre 1998), Firenze 1998, pp. 260-261;
Gentilini Giancarlo, Giovanni della Robbia. Eucharistic tabernacle with Jesus as child blessing, angels and cherubs, in Bacchi Andrea, (a cura di), A taste for Sculpture III, London 2016, pp. 26-35, n. 3.