Turin and the British in the Age of the Grand Tour

The Duchy of Savoy first claimed royal status in the seventeenth century, but only in 1713 was Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy (1666–1732), crowned King of Sicily. The events of the Peace of Utrecht (1713) sanctioned the decades-long project, the Duchy had pursued through the convoluted maze of political relationships between foreign powers. Of these, the British Kingdom was one of their most assiduous advocates, because of complimentary dynastic, political, cultural and commercial interests. A notable stream of British diplomats and visitors to the Sabaudian capital engaged in an extraordinary and reciprocal exchange with the Turinese during this fertile period. The flow of travellers, a number of whom were British emissaries and envoys posted to the court, coincided, in part, with the itineraries of the international Grand Tour which transformed the capital into a gateway to Italy, resulting in a conflagration of cultural cosmopolitanism in early modern Europe. The Duchy Of Savoy First Claimed Royal Status In The Seventeenth Century, But Only In 1713 Was Victor Amadeus Ii, Duke Of Savoy (1666-1732), Crowned King Of Sicily. The Events Of The Peace Of Utrecht (1713) Sanctioned The Decades-long Project, The Duchy Had Pursued Through The Convoluted Maze Of Political Relationships Between Foreign Powers. Of These, The British Kingdom Was One Of Their Most Assiduous Advocates, Because Of Complimentary Dynastic, Political, Cultural And Commercial Interests. A Notable Stream Of British Diplomats And Visitors To The Savoy Capital Engaged In An Extraordinary And Reciprocal Exchange With The Turinese During This Fertile Period. The Flow Of Travellers, A Number Of Whom Were British Emissaries And Envoys Posted To The Court, Coincided, In Part, With The Itineraries Of The International Grand Tour Which Transformed The Capital Into A Gateway To Italy, Resulting In A Conflagration Of Cultural Cosmopolitanism In Early Modern Europe.--back Cover. Introduction / Paola Bianchi And Karin Wolfe -- Part I. Britain In Turin: Politics And Culture At The Savoy Court -- England And Savoy: Dynastic Intimacy And Cultural Relations Under The Early Stuarts / Toby Osbourne -- Marriage Proposals: Seventeenth-century Stuart-savoy Matrimonial Prospects And Politics / Andrea Pennini -- The Court Of Turin And The English Succession, 1712-20 / Edward Corp -- The British Diplomatic Presence In Turin: Diplomatic Culture And British élite Identity, 1688-1789/98 / Christopher Storrs -- Part Ii. Turin: Gateway To Grand Tour Society -- The British At The Turin Royal Academy: Cosmopolitanism And Religious Pragmatism / Paola Bianchi -- Thomas Coke In Turin And The Turin Royal Academy / Andrew Moore -- Never A More Favorable Reception Than In The Present Juncture: British Residents And Travellers In And About Turin, 1747-8 / Edoardo Piccoli -- The British And Freemasonry In Eighteenth-century Turin / Andrea Merlotti --^ Part Iii. Torino Britannica: Diplomacy And Cultural Brokerage -- John Molesworth: British Envoy And Cultural Intermediary In Turin / Karin Wolfe -- Silver From London And Turin: Diplomacy By Display And George Hervey, Earl Of Bristol, Envoy Extraordinary To The Court Of Savoy 1755-8 / James Rothwell -- The Savoyard: The Painter Domenico Duprà And His British Sitters / Jonathan Yarker -- The Culture Of Confession: The Sardinian Chapel In London In The Eighteenth Century / Paolo Cozzo -- Part Iv. Turin And Britain: Architectural Crossroads -- Architects And Kings In Grand Tour Europe / Tommaso Manfredi -- A Homage From Turin: Filippo Juvarra's Sketches For Lord Burlington / Cristina Ruggero -- Crossing Borders: The Pioneering Role Of The Architect-engineer Giovanni Battista Borra Between Piedmont And Britain / Olga Zoller -- Part V. Britain And Turin: Chinoiserie As An International Aesthetic --^ Chinoiserie In Piedmont: An International Language Of Diplomacy And Modernity / Christopher M.s. Johns -- Alla China: The Reception Of International Decorative Models In Piedmont / Cristina Mossetti -- The British Garden In Piedmont In The Late Eighteenth Century: Variations On The Picturesque, The Anglo-chinese And The Landscape Garden / Paolo Cornaglia -- Part Vi. Turin In Britain: Cultural Exchange In Grand Tour Europe -- A Plurality Of Pluras: The Plura Family Of Sculptors Between Turin And Britain / Alastair Laing -- A Memorable Era In The Instrumental Music Of This Kingdom: Piedmontese Musicians In London In The Latter Half Of The Eighteenth Century / Annarita Colturato -- The British Baretti: Didactics And Criticism / Cristina Bracchi -- Vittorio Alfieri And The English Republic: Reflections On An Elective Affinity / Francesca Fedi. Edited By Paola Bianchi, Università Della Valle D'aosta, Karin Wolfe, British School At Rome. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series information 4 Title page 5 Copyright information 6 Table of contents 7 List of figures 10 List of contributors 18 Foreword 25 Preface and Acknowledgements 27 Introduction 31 Part I Britain in Turin: Politics and Culture at the Savoy Court 55 1 England and Savoy 57 2 Marriage Proposals 71 3 The Court of Turin and the English Succession, 1712–20 86 4 The British Diplomatic Presence in Turin 103 British Diplomacy in Turin Post 1688 104 British Diplomats in Turin 111 Conclusion 116 Part II Turin: Gateway to Grand Tour Society 119 5 The British at the Turin Royal Academy 121 Religious Denominations in Turin at the Turn of the Eighteenth Century 122 The Origins of the Turin Royal Academy 126 The Turin Royal Academy in the Golden Age of the Grand Tour in Italy 129 6 Thomas Coke in Turin and the Turin Royal Academy 138 Turin and Piedmont 140 Coke’s First Visit to Turin in 1713 142 Coke’s Second Visit to Turin, 1715 144 Opera and Music 151 Conclusion 155 7 ‘Never a more favorable reception than in the present juncture’ 158 On the Roads of a ‘Little Known’ Country 160 In Town 166 8 The British and Freemasonry in Eighteenth-Century Turin 172 The Jacobite Presence in the Early Days of Savoy Freemasonry 175 An Englishman from the Turin Royal Academy at the Lodge of Turin Saint Jean de la Mysterieuse (1778) 186 Part III Torino Britannica: Diplomacy and Cultural Brokerage 191 9 John Molesworth 193 10 Silver from London and Turin 209 11 The ‘Savoyard’ 225 12 The Culture of Confession 242 Part IV Turin and Britain: Architectural Crossroads 259 13 Architects and Kings in Grand Tour Europe 261 King’s Architects in France and Britain 261 Juvarra and Galilei: from London to Turin 267 14 A Homage from Turin 276 15 Crossing Borders 293 Part V Britain and Turin: Chinoiserie as an International Aesthetic 309 16 Chinoiserie in Piedmont 311 17 ‘Alla China’ 331 18 The English Garden in Piedmont in the Late Eighteenth Century 351 The Pre-Picturesque English Garden: Venaria Reale 351 Charles Joseph de Ligne, Privileged Observer of the Advent of the Picturesque in Continental Europe 353 An English Villa in Racconigi 354 The Picturesque in Piedmont. The Official Sites, Real or on Paper: Racconigi, Riva di Chieri 355 Different Approaches: Filippo Castelli, Gugliemo Gullini, John Wallace 359 The Landscaped Garden: the Empire of Xavier Kurten 366 Part VI Turin in Britain: Cultural Exchange in Grand Tour Europe 369 19 A Plurality of Pluras 371 20 ‘A memorable era in the instrumental music of this kingdom’ 381 21 The British Baretti 396 The Critical Style 400 A ‘Nation of Nations’ 404 22 Vittorio Alfieri and the ‘English Republic’ 408 Alfieri’s Career Prospects 409 Britain as a ‘New Rome’ and Machiavelli’s Legacy 411 Political Crisis and Private Scandal: Alfieri’s Second Sojourn in Britain 413 ‘Lo Spione Italiano’ (The Italian Spy) 415 The ‘Countess of Albany’ and her Husband 416 Maria Stuarda: Tragedy of the Stuart Dynasty 418 ‘Libertas Britannica’ and ‘Libertas Americana’ 420 Anglophilia and Anti-French Sentiment 421 Appendix I British Diplomats and Visitors inTurin in the Eighteenth Century 423 Appendix II Sabaudian Diplomats in London inthe Eighteenth Century 427 Appendix III British Attendees at the TurinRoyal Academy 429 Appendix IV Letters from the Molesworth–Galilei Correspondence,1721– 25 441 Bibliography 450 Index 500 This book examines crucial aspects of the important cultural relationship between Turin and Britain in the period 1600–1800, when Savoy-Piedmont was one of the principal political powers of modern Europe, through a series of twenty-two essays by an international group of scholars exploring a range of disciplines. This is an international publication exploring early modern cultural exchange between Britain and Savoy, including political, diplomatic, social, religious and artistic trends