In the built-up area of Lutiano Nuovo, there is a large street tabernacle, as noted on the inscription affixed at its base by Prior Giuseppe Maria Brocchi in 1728, marking the location where a miraculous event is said to have occurred. In 1914, a date visible on a small ceramic plaque placed inside the tabernacle, Cavalier Giuseppe Maganzi Baldini, the owner, commissioned the San Lorenzo Furnaces to create a beautiful image of the Virgin with Child in painted majolica tiles, to replace the original, which had been irreparably damaged over time.
The artefact, protected by a fine wooden grille, is one of the earliest works from the Fornaci San Lorenzo still remaining in the area of Borgo San Lorenzo. It reveals a stylistic blend of eclecticism, where medieval and Renaissance elements converge, a characteristic also found in other works of the Chini manufacturing. The stylistic features of this piece suggest that it was not created by Galileo Chini, and the authorship is likely to be attributed to another member of the Chini family or the Fornaci San Lorenzo. It is possible, however, that it was Chino Chini, who began his career as a decorator, and was involved in this work.
Scheda di Marco Pinelli, foto di Marta Magherini
© Il Filo – Idee e Notizie dal Mugello
Progetto Itinerario Liberty Mugello – Unione montana dei Comuni del Mugello
