Abode of Michetti

The former Franciscan monastery founded in 1430 near the village of Francavilla and consecrated in honor of St. James, in 1548 was re-consecrated in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the XVIII century the monastery was reconstructed in the Baroque style . In 1863-1864, he was secularized and became the property of the commune of Francavilla al Mare. In 1883-1884 (according to other sources in 1885) it was acquired by the artist Francesco Paolo Michetti, who returned to his homeland in Abruzzo, after a long stay in Naples, Rome, Milan and Paris.

The new owner reconstructed and partially modified the monastery, for example, removed many cells, installed a large kiln for ceramics . In 1929, after the death of Francesco Paolo Michetti, the building was inherited by members of his family. The current owner is the grandson of the artist. In 1938, a bronze monument to Francesco Paolo Miketti, the work of his student and friend Nicola DʼAntino, was erected at the main entrance to the building. In 1939, King Vittorio Emanuele III declared the monastery a national monument. The building was not miraculously damaged during the Second World War .

Mikketian Room

The idea of ​​creating a cultural center within the walls of the former monastery belonged to the then mayor of Francavilla, who sold the building at a reduced price to the famous artist Francesco Paolo Michetti, who already owned a house on the Adriatic coast . It was assumed that over time, an art and craft school will be opened here. But instead, at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, the former monastery became a meeting place and communication of prominent Italian cultural figures of that time. In history, he became known as the "cloister of Miketti", or "Mikettian chamber", as exhibitions and meetings were held in the hall on the second floor.

A native of Abruzzo, the poet Gabriele dʼAnnunzio, often spent his holidays here. In the walls of the monastery he wrote "Pleasure", most of "Innocent" and "Triumph of death." The friendship and cooperation of Francesco Paolo Miketti and Gabriele dʼAnnunzio, having survived many trials, survived until the end of the artist's life. In 1935, six years after the death of a friend, the poet recalled him as half of his soul.

At the same time, before moving to London, the composer Francesco Paolo Tosti often visited the monastery, who also had a deep friendship with Francesco Paolo Michetti and Gabriele dʼAnnunzio. He wrote several romances to the verses of the latter. An ethnologist and historian Antonio De Nino , who advised Gabriele dʼAnnunzio during the poet's work on historical dramas, was a frequent guest of the Mikettian chamber.

Since the mid-80s of the XIX century, the new owner regularly held art exhibitions in the walls of the former monastery, encouraging young talented natives of Abruzzo, among whom were the sculptor Costantino Barbella and the founder of the dynasty of painters and sculptors Basilio Casella , artist Matilda Serao. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first exhibitions of Nikola DʼAntino , the sculptor, were held here, whose work was in demand in the fascist era .

• L'Abruzzo di Gabriele D'Annunzio (neopr.) . Сulturaitalia.it. - Gabriele d'Annunzio in Abruzzo. (ital.)
• Convento Michetti (Neopr.) . Geoplan.it. - Abode of Michetti. (ital.)
• D'Annunzio, Michetti e il cenacolo di Francavilla a Nereto ( unopened ) (unavailable link) . Cultura in Abruzzo. - D'Annunzio, Miketti and the chambermaid in Francavilla a Nereto. Archived December 16, 2013. (ital.)
• Il Cenacolo Michettiano (Neopr.) . Gerboni.net. - Mikketian chambermaid. (ital.)
• Il convento Michetti, la chiesa ed il piazzale di San Antonio (neopr.) . Francavillalmare.com. - Historical photographs of the Monastery of Michetti. (ital.)