BY MARK ANDERSON
A masterpiece returned to its former splendor after a restoration campaign lasting over four years is now drawing the attention of art critics. The work in question is the Altarpiece of San Leo, titled Madonna Enthroned with Child among Saints, which Annalisa Di Maria—an international expert on Leonardo da Vinci and artists of the Neoplatonic movement—attributes to the Florentine master Sandro Botticelli. The findings from this extensive research will be published in an upcoming volume that will present all the studies conducted.
According to Di Maria:
“Seeing the altarpiece, I immediately recognized, through various pictorial and iconographic elements, that it was indeed the work of Botticelli and his workshop. For over 20 years, I have studied the artistic and cultural movement that experienced a significant revival during the Renaissance: Neoplatonism. My research has focused especially on artists who supported this philosophy and who were regular visitors to the Neoplatonic Academy of Florence, founded by Marsilio Ficino in 1462 at Villa Careggi, at the behest of Cosimo the Elder.
Throughout these years, I have concentrated on the techniques, symbolism, and themes found in the works of these great artists. Botticelli, along with Leonardo da Vinci, was one of the most prominent representatives of this movement. The altarpiece was traditionally attributed to the master Frosino, but this attribution appears to be incorrect.”
Di Maria refers to a document from the late 15th century by a certain Vecchietti, a notable Florentine notary, who commissioned a work from Maestro Luca di Frosino for the community of San Leo. However, the document does not clearly identify the artwork in question.
“It is tempting to believe that the commissioned piece depicted Saints Marino and Leone, as we see in this altarpiece. While Frosino had a workshop in Florence, his style differs significantly from that of the San Leo altarpiece. A case in point is his Annunciation of Pesaro (1507), also commissioned by the Servants of Mary. Several entries in Federico Zeri’s catalogue further suggest a stylistic link between Luca di Frosino and the Maestro di Marradi, possibly connecting both to Ghirlandaio’s workshop.
However, when considering the technical and scientific data—including dimensions—the connection to the altarpiece described in Vecchietti’s document doesn’t align. It’s more plausible that the Botticelli altarpiece was brought to San Leo to replace Frosino’s work when the cathedral reopened in 1700. If Frosino had created the original altarpiece for San Leo, it may have been lost or relocated during the decades the cathedral remained derelict. What we see today is certainly not that original work.”
The rediscovered Botticelli painting was in a poor state of conservation. Over the centuries, it had undergone various restorations, yet Botticelli’s unmistakable style—and that of his school—clearly remains. Stylistic comparisons and scientific analysis have revealed the hand of Botticelli himself, along with contributions from some of his students.
“After 1492, following the deaths of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Pico della Mirandola, and Angelo Poliziano in 1494, Botticelli fell into a deep depression. He abandoned Neoplatonic iconography and returned to a more austere Christian style, with considerable assistance from his students. This painting precisely reflects that transitional period—a return to his early altarpiece style, reminiscent of the Sant’Ambrogio Altarpiece at the Uffizi in Florence.”
Botticelli’s works fell into obscurity for centuries after his death in 1510 and were rediscovered only in the 19th century thanks to the Pre-Raphaelites. Many of his works were stored in church warehouses and later reused to replace lost or damaged paintings, often modified with added iconographic elements to suit their new contexts.
“The crown on the Virgin’s head, for example, was added later during one of the many reworkings. The two flanking saints—identified today as San Marino and San Leone—may originally have been intended as Pico della Mirandola and Angelo Poliziano, recurring figures in Botticelli’s oeuvre.”
This altarpiece becomes a symbolic journey—of saints, ideas, and artistry—traveling from Florence through Montefeltro, altered at each stop, yet never losing the spirit of the great Renaissance master.
“Many hands altered this painting over time, as if each felt entitled to leave their mark. But no one dared to change the face or bearing of the beautiful Simonetta, who now lives again in a land not her own. Here, she testifies to the enduring power of beauty—how it can overcome adversity.”
This work rightfully belongs to the Municipality of San Leo.
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Sandro Botticelli: The Renaissance Visionary Who Painted the Soul
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