Giovanni Monevi

Giovanni Monevi^[1] born in a fraction of Visone still called today Mone, by Giovanni Battista and Maria Rizzola. The family (whose name was originally in the 15th century Malène, progressively corrupted into Malnevos and therefore in Monevus) is not particularly wealthy, but perhaps taking advantage of his connections with the Bonelli family of Vino (related, through Cardinal Michele Bonelli, to Pope Saint Pius V) he manages to send the young Giovanni to Rome, to develop his precocious inclinations towards painting under the guidance of Giovanni Francesco Romanelli.

Already in 1657, just twenty years old, he returned to his native country to open his own workshop and in that year immediately received from the bishop of Acqui, Giovanni Ambrogio Bicuti, the task of making a canvas for the main altar of the Cathedral depicting the Assumption. Thanks also to the appreciations of the bishops' court, Monevi's notoriety does not delay in coming, allowing him to acquire some fame in the local artistic panorama and, consequently, an ever-increasing aginess.

In 1660 he married Camilla Bocca, belonging to one of the oldest and most aristocratic families in the country, from which he will have nine children.

In the workshop, which in the meantime works more and more fully, they find in the years placed together with the workers even at least two of his sons, Giovanni Battista and Angela Maria, and perhaps also a third, Francis. John the Baptist in particular will continue his pictorial activity, although with fewer results than his father, reconciling it with the entrance to the seminary and priestly ordination. In 1690 he became pastor of Visone and to him will be offended by his father's funeral in 1714.

Although many works have been lost, Giovanni Monevi remains numerous canvases, distributed mainly in the southern part of the diocese of Acqui, and some valuable cycles of frescoes in the Cathedral.^{[without source]}

In Monevi was named the State Primary School of Visone.

Monevi's style was all a little influenced by the first six hundred Roman school in which he was educated.^{[without source]} However, the long and intense Piedmontese activity is also very close to great local masters, first of all Guglielmo Caccia called the Moncalvo, from which he draws many inspirations in particular for the scenic construction of works.

The compositional system often has a certain repetition in organizational choices. Frequently, in fact, the importance of the main figure is accentuated by the disposition of secondary elements according to pyramidal patterns varied, obviously taking back a refined Renaissance lesson of Leonardesca imprint, michelangiolesca and raffaelita.

From an iconographic point of view, we notice a strong habit to reuse the same subjects in different circumstances. This is particularly noted with the assai frequented theme of Madonna with Child, where the only variations are on the number and type of secondary figures (saints, angels, souls in purgatory) and on their scenic location (standing or kneeling, at the feet of the Madonna, at the sides or in the wings), while the central figure maintains many fixed elements: the crown of light or flowers, the reclined head and the gaze turned downwards, the left foot raised. Of course, the repetitiveness of the subjects, and therefore of the stylistic choices, is often dictated by the same repetitive requests from the different clients: this is the case of Mysteries of the Rosary, other theme very performed by Monevi, than from the late '500 He knows a particular fortune and spread because of the clamorous victory of Lepanto (among other things linked to the Alexandrian pope San Pio V, with whose family, through the Boccas and the Bonellis, the same Monevi was far related).^[2]

• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (1657), oil on canvas 320x182 cm, Acqui Terme, Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta;
• San Biagio (1664), oil on canvas 112x78 cm, Fraz. Bandita di Cassinelle, Church of S. Croce;
• Mysteries of the Rosary (<1665), 15 hexagonal canvases 38x33 cm, Acqui Terme, Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta;
• Godfather, (1666), oil on canvas 141x190 cm, Visone, Church of SS. Peter and Paul (formerly in the Oratory of S. Rocco);
• Cycles of frescoes (1668-1670), Acqui Terme, presbytery and dome of the Cathedral of S. Maria Assunta;
• Madonna with Child, Saint John and St. Bovo (1669?), oil on canvas 190x128 cm, Visone, Church of SS. Peter and Paul;
• Christ with Saint Gaetano from Thiene and St Probo (>1671), oil on canvas, Ponzone, Sanctuary of S. Maria della Pieve;
• San Pio V and the Battle of Lepanto (1672-1680), oil on canvas 204x120 cm, Visone, Church of SS. Peter and Paul;
• Madonna of the Rosary with Saints (>1672), oil on canvas 220x173 cm, Dego, Church of S. Ambrogio;
• Madonna with Child, St. Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena (1673), oil on canvas 195x130 cm, Fraz. Toleto di Ponzone, Church of S. Giacomo;
• Madonna of the Rosary with Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine from Siena (1674), oil on canvas 200x150 cm, Castelnuovo Calcea, Church of S. Stefano;
• Holy Trinity (1674), oil on canvas, Strevi, Oratory of the SS. Trinity;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Anthony Abbot, St Charles Borromeo and St Bovo (1675), oil on canvas com 203x150 surmounted by Saint Anthony of Bailonné, oil on canvas, Morsasco, Church of S. Bartolomeo;
• Madonna with Child and Purgating Souls (1677), oil on canvas 189x138 cm, Dego, Church of S. Ambrogio (not exhibited);
• Lamented on the dead Christ with purging souls (1678), oil on canvas 180x118 cm, Visone, Church of SS. Peter and Paul;
• Holy Trinity with Our Lady, saints and purgating souls (1678), oil on canvas 234x185 cm, Molare, Sanctuary of N.S. of the Rocks;
• Deposition from the cross with Saint John and St Charles Borromeo (<1680), oil on canvas, Mombaldone, Church of St. Nicholas;
• Madonna with Child, Saints and Purgating Souls (>1680), oil on canvas 195x125 cm, Melazzo, Church of S. Bartolomeo;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Anthony of Padua, St. James Major and St. Francis (1688), oil on canvas 193x144 cm, Campertogno, Museum of San Giacomo Maggiore;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Defendent and Purgating Souls (1691), oil on canvas 194x140 cm, Orsara Bormida, New Church of S. Martino;
• The Purgating Souls (>1695), oil on canvas, Cremolino, Church of S. Maria della Neve ai Fallabrini;
• Madonna with St. Martin and Saint Catherine (1697), fresco, Orsara Bormida, Old Church of S. Martino;
• Most Holy Trinity with the Immaculate Conception, Saints and Purgating Souls (1702), oil on canvas 145x117 cm, Cremolino, Church of N.S. of Carmine;
• San Michele with San Fermo, San Domenico and San Bovo (1705), oil on canvas 222x157 cm, Ponzone, Sanctuary of S. Maria della Pieve;
• Madonna with Child, St. Martin and St. Francis of Paola (1708), oil on canvas, Orsara Bormida, Church of the Madonna dell'Uvallare;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Matthew and St Bonaventure (1712-1713), fresco, Cassine, sacristy of the Church of S. Francesco;
• Allegory of spring, fresco, Acqui Terme, Palazzo Veggi;
• Allegory of the day and night, fresco 160x320 cm, Acqui Terme, Palazzo Levi (Town Hall);
• Announcement, oil on canvas 240x165 cm, Molare, Sanctuary of N.S. of the Rocks;
• Baptism of Christ, oil on canvas, Morbello, Oratory of St. John the Baptist;
• Christ blessing, oil on canvas 85x68 cm, Acqui Terme, Church of S. Antonio Abate;
• Christ with saints (said by Saint Albert), oil on canvas 182x145 cm, Cremolino, Church of N.S. of Carmine;
• Godfather, oil on canvas 108x170 cm, Morsasco, Church of S. Bartolomeo;
• The burning roveto, oil on canvas, Castelnuovo Bormida, canonical house of S. Quirico;
• Immaculate Conception, oil on canvas 240x165 cm, Molare, Sanctuary of N.S. of the Rocks;
• Madonna with Child and Purgating Souls, oil on canvas 180x125 cm, Ponzone, Church of S. Michele;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Bernard and St. Bovo, oil on canvas Cavatore, Church of S. Bernardo in Valle Orecchia;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Charles Borromeo and St Anthony of Padua, oil on canvas 90x61 cm, Bistagno, Church of St. John the Baptist;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Dominic and St Anthony of Padua, oil on canvas 140x110 cm, Alice Bel Colle, private chapel;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Lawrence and St John, oil on canvas, Cavatore, Church of S. Lorenzo;
• Madonna with Child, St. Guido and St. Anthony of Padua, oil on canvas 112x100 cm, Acqui Terme, Sanctuary of Madonnalta;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Peter and St. Simon Stock, oil on canvas 120x85 cm, Sassello, Church of S. Pietro;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Sebastian and St. Rocco, oil on canvas 180x130 cm, Rivalta Bormida, Church of S. Spirito;
• Madonna with Child, Saint Catherine and St George, oil on canvas 210x120 cm, Montechiaro d'Acqui, Town Hall;
• Madonna of the Rosary with Saints, oil on canvas, Vinchio, Church of S. Marco;
• Martyrdom of San Lorenzo, oil on canvas 238x185 cm, Molare, Sanctuary of N.S. of the Rocks;
• Mysteries of the Rosary, 15 hexagonal oils on canvas 23x23 cm, Grognardo, Church of S. Andrea;
• Madonna of the suffrage, oil on canvas, Vinchio, Church of S. Marco;
• Nativity with shepherds, 2 oils on canvas 238x106 cm (left) and 238x10 cm (right), Castelnuovo Bormida, Church of S. Quirico;
• Portraits of Bishops of Acqui And Crucifixion, frescoes, Acqui Terme, Bishop's Palace;
• Portrait of Bishop Giovanni Ambrogio Bicuti, oil on canvas, private collection;
• Portrait of knight with gun, oil on canvas, Grognardo, Town Hall;
• San Gaetano from Thiene, oil on canvas 212x172 cm, Ponzone, Oratory of S. Bernardo;
• San Guido, canvas, private collection;
• St. Peter with Saint Paul, St. Anthony Abbot and St. Catherine, shovel, Ponzone, Church of S. Michele;
• Santa Cecilia in ecstasy, oil on canvas 85x68 cm, Acqui Terme, Church of S. Antonio Abate;
• St. Augustine, oil on canvas, Castellazzo Bormida, Church of S. Martino;
• St. Alexander the Pope with Saint Ambrose and Saint Pudenziana, oil on canvas 190x118 cm, Visone, Church of SS. Peter and Paul (not exhibited);
• St. Anthony with Jesus child, oil on canvas, Molare, Sanctuary of N.S. of the Rocks;
• Santa Rita from Cascia, shovel, Castellazzo Bormida, Church of S. Martino;
• Holy Trinity, oil on canvas, Vinchio, Church of S. Marco;
• Holy Trinity with Our Lady and Saint Joseph, oil on canvas 190x130 cm, Visone, Church of SS. Peter and Paul;

• C. Prosperi, A. Vercellino, S. Arditi, A stone's throw from heaven: Giovanni Monevi and his workshop (Visone, secc. XVII.XVIII), Acqui Terme, 2006
• D. Bosio, Giovanni Monevo (Monevi), in: The angel of families, December 1958, p. 3