2023-10-07 16:03:06
Fernando Botero, one of the most important Latin American artists of the 20th century, was buried Saturday in Pietrasanta, the Tuscan town where he lived and worked for years with his wife, the Greek artist Sophia Vari, who died in may.
It is the small town of Pietrasanta, located not far from the sea 32 km from Pisa and nicknamed “little Athens” because of its concentration of marble quarries, foundries and sculptors, that the painter and sculptor had chosen to house his final resting place.
The famous master of the volume died on September 15 at the age of 91 in Monaco following pneumonia, and his remains were first transported to Colombia so that he could receive a last tribute from his compatriots, notably in Bogota and Medellin, his hometown.
Honorary citizenship
In Pietrasanta you can see some of his paintings like The Gate of Heaven et The gate to Hellwho face each other in the Church of Mercy, where his ashes were exposed from Thursday for a tribute before the funeral ceremony, which was held on Saturday morning in the Cathedral of Saint Martin of Pietrasanta.
The artist’s ashes were transported from the church to the cathedral, accompanied by the notes of a local orchestra, the Capezzano Monte Philharmonic. During the ceremony there were speeches from the Mayor of Pietrasanta, the Colombian Ambassador to Italy Ligia Margarita Quessep Bitar, his dearest friends and his daughter Lina Botero.
“We awarded him honorary citizenship as a sign of gratitude because he really deserved it”Mayor Alberto Giovannetti told AFP before the funeral. “He always loved Pietrasanta and Pietrasanta also knew how to welcome him and open its doors to him.”
Adolfo Agolini, owner of the Mariani foundry and friend of Botero, told AFP that he met him in early 1976. “He arrived with Sophia Vari (…) We started to collaborate, and this collaboration has lasted until today.”
“Last earthly home”
The artist’s ashes were placed in front of the cathedral altar on a catafalque decorated with white flowers. To the left of the catafalque sat a large framed photo of Botero on an easel. Her three children, Fernando Botero Zea, Lina Botero and Juan Carlos Botero, sat in the front row.
“This country has always been very important to my father (…) We are very happy that he chose Pietrasanta as his last earthly home”told Lina Botero to AFPTV. “He worked here for more than 40 years, he created his sculptures here thanks to the work of the foundries, the marble workshops with which he worked as well as with the artisans, whose talent they admired and whom he respected” .
Fernando Botero’s work in the church of Sant’Antonio Abate, Pietrasanta, Tuscany, Italy October 05, 2023 (ALEANDRO BITime.newsANTI/AGF/SIPA / SIPA)
For this exceptional occasion, the cathedral was full, many of the 23,000 inhabitants having paid a final tribute to this extraordinary artist who contributed to the notoriety of their city. At the end of the ceremony, the ashes of the artist, author of 300 sculptures and 3,000 paintings, were buried in the section of the cemetery reserved for illustrious citizens of Pietrasanta.
A great patron
Botero’s works, mostly depicting figures with voluptuous figures, have been sold at auction for sums of up to $4.3 million in the most prestigious galleries around the world.
Fernando Botero was also a major patron, with donations estimated at more than $200 million. Concerned about making his works accessible to the general public, particularly the working classes, he gave many of his works to the museums of Medellin and Bogota, but also dozens of paintings from his private collection, including Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Miro…
His works are also visible outdoors in many cities around the world, first and foremost Pietrasanta.
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