DOI article:
Bažant, Jan: Villa Star in Prague
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51713#0073
appears in labours and dangers: tempérance in foregoing
pleasures: prudence in the choice between good and evil: jus-
tice in giving every man bis own.”il The essence of the
ancient Roman conception of justice, “in suo cuique
tribuendo" in Cicero’s formulation, was embodied in
a negative way by Oeneus and in positive way by
Atalanta. In the Villa Star her foot reposes on a trophy
which was denied to her. Meleagros paid with his life
for his insistence on “giving every man his own". It does
not make any différence that the boar’s head is of no
practical use. It cannot be eaten, it is a mere trophy,
but what mattered was that the principle of justice
was violated by Meleagros’ uncles and this had to be
punished.
The theme, which unités ail images not onlý in
the enrrance corridor but also on all ceilings of the
Villa Star, is justice and piety. Cicero’s conception of
cardinal virtues had its roots in ancient Greece. In
Plato we may read that “among the parts ofvirtue, no
other part is like knowledge, or likejustice, or like courage,
or like tempérance, or likepiety.”31 32 33 Ancient Romans trans-
lated Greek piety (“hosiotes”) as “pietas” which meant
duty to the gods and to family, especially to the fa-
ther. These two aspects of ancient Roman piety em-
bodied the scene in the centre of the main hall de-
picting Aeneas, who beats on his back his father car-
rying the statues of gods. Piety in the ancient Roman
conception was also the theme of ail other stories de-
picted in the central hall of the Villa Star. Children’s
respect towards their father was a model for citizen’s
duties to the Roman state, which was conceived as
a monumentalized family. On this the absolutism of
the Habsburg monarchy was based, which soon found
its expression in the cult of the Holy Family. Aeneas
fleeing from burning Troy with his family became
a prototype of St. Joseph fleeing to Egypt with Vir-
gin Mary and the Baby Jesus.
In classical antiquity piety was identified with jus-
tice; it was a duty to give every god his (or her) own.
31 De Fin., 5, 23, 67; cf. De Offic., 1, 2, 5.
32 PROTAGORAS 330b.
33 II, par. 144, BODE, G. H. (ed.): Scriptores rerum mythicarum
Latini très, Romae nuper reperti. Cellis 1834, pp. 124-125.
This concept endured in Christian Europe and that is
why the story of the Calydonian king Oeneus was
never forgotten. In the lTh Century The Vatican
Mythographer takes it as an example of impious be-
haviour, “neglegentia sacrorum" the Italian Renais-
sance several paraphrases of Oeneus’ story were writ-
ten and in a poem “La caccia di Meleagro,” Diana
complains, that her “temples are in ruins",34 In 1553
Lodovico Dolce, the biographer of Ferdinand I, ite-
mises the sacrificial gifts Oeneus gave to Ceres, Bac-
chus and Athena “olives, corn, and wine”.35 This inven-
tory corresponds to that what we see on the ceiling of
the entrance corridor of the Villa Star.
Niccolo degli Agostini stressed that Oeneus was
a pious man, “catolico homo”, but he was not in con-
séquence of his piety and that is why he. had to be
punished. He continually sacrificed to Ceres, Bacchus,
Athena and other deities, but this was of no avail,
because he omitted one deity and this ruined him.36
The popularity of the Oeneus theme in 16th Century
Italy might be connected with the Counter-Refor-
mation movement stressing that the essence of piety
is in rigorously giving God his own. In the décora-
tion of the Villa Star there are no biblical thèmes. Its
classical inspiration notwithstanding, it was a Catholic
monument, albeit of Catholicism before the Council
at Trent (1545 — 1563) put to end attempts at the
intégration of Christianity and the pagan cultures of
Greece and Rome. By an évocation of the ancient story
teaching an unconditional respect for all traditional
rituals the Villa Star proclaimed its firm loyalty to
Catholic orthodoxy.
Now we may return to the représentation of Leda
with swan, which was mentioned above, in connec-
tion with the sawing scene. We must stress that the
act takes place on an altar, because its meaning was
symbolical. In the ceiling of the first corridor it occu-
pies an important position, because it is one of the
first scenes one notes after entering the building. We
34 Cf. SETTIS, P.: Ars Moriendi: Cristo e Meleagro. In: Giornate
di Studio in ricordo di Giovanni Previtali. Scuola normale superi-
ore, Pisa, maggio, 1999, a cura di F. Caglioti, Serie 4, quader-
ni 1-2. Pisa 2000, p. 148.
35 DOLCE, L.: Le Transformation. Canto XVII. Venezia 1561.
36 Tutti li libri de Ovidio Metamorphoseos tradutti dal littéral al verso
vulgär con le sue allégorie in prosa. Venezia 1522, p. 8.
67
pleasures: prudence in the choice between good and evil: jus-
tice in giving every man bis own.”il The essence of the
ancient Roman conception of justice, “in suo cuique
tribuendo" in Cicero’s formulation, was embodied in
a negative way by Oeneus and in positive way by
Atalanta. In the Villa Star her foot reposes on a trophy
which was denied to her. Meleagros paid with his life
for his insistence on “giving every man his own". It does
not make any différence that the boar’s head is of no
practical use. It cannot be eaten, it is a mere trophy,
but what mattered was that the principle of justice
was violated by Meleagros’ uncles and this had to be
punished.
The theme, which unités ail images not onlý in
the enrrance corridor but also on all ceilings of the
Villa Star, is justice and piety. Cicero’s conception of
cardinal virtues had its roots in ancient Greece. In
Plato we may read that “among the parts ofvirtue, no
other part is like knowledge, or likejustice, or like courage,
or like tempérance, or likepiety.”31 32 33 Ancient Romans trans-
lated Greek piety (“hosiotes”) as “pietas” which meant
duty to the gods and to family, especially to the fa-
ther. These two aspects of ancient Roman piety em-
bodied the scene in the centre of the main hall de-
picting Aeneas, who beats on his back his father car-
rying the statues of gods. Piety in the ancient Roman
conception was also the theme of ail other stories de-
picted in the central hall of the Villa Star. Children’s
respect towards their father was a model for citizen’s
duties to the Roman state, which was conceived as
a monumentalized family. On this the absolutism of
the Habsburg monarchy was based, which soon found
its expression in the cult of the Holy Family. Aeneas
fleeing from burning Troy with his family became
a prototype of St. Joseph fleeing to Egypt with Vir-
gin Mary and the Baby Jesus.
In classical antiquity piety was identified with jus-
tice; it was a duty to give every god his (or her) own.
31 De Fin., 5, 23, 67; cf. De Offic., 1, 2, 5.
32 PROTAGORAS 330b.
33 II, par. 144, BODE, G. H. (ed.): Scriptores rerum mythicarum
Latini très, Romae nuper reperti. Cellis 1834, pp. 124-125.
This concept endured in Christian Europe and that is
why the story of the Calydonian king Oeneus was
never forgotten. In the lTh Century The Vatican
Mythographer takes it as an example of impious be-
haviour, “neglegentia sacrorum" the Italian Renais-
sance several paraphrases of Oeneus’ story were writ-
ten and in a poem “La caccia di Meleagro,” Diana
complains, that her “temples are in ruins",34 In 1553
Lodovico Dolce, the biographer of Ferdinand I, ite-
mises the sacrificial gifts Oeneus gave to Ceres, Bac-
chus and Athena “olives, corn, and wine”.35 This inven-
tory corresponds to that what we see on the ceiling of
the entrance corridor of the Villa Star.
Niccolo degli Agostini stressed that Oeneus was
a pious man, “catolico homo”, but he was not in con-
séquence of his piety and that is why he. had to be
punished. He continually sacrificed to Ceres, Bacchus,
Athena and other deities, but this was of no avail,
because he omitted one deity and this ruined him.36
The popularity of the Oeneus theme in 16th Century
Italy might be connected with the Counter-Refor-
mation movement stressing that the essence of piety
is in rigorously giving God his own. In the décora-
tion of the Villa Star there are no biblical thèmes. Its
classical inspiration notwithstanding, it was a Catholic
monument, albeit of Catholicism before the Council
at Trent (1545 — 1563) put to end attempts at the
intégration of Christianity and the pagan cultures of
Greece and Rome. By an évocation of the ancient story
teaching an unconditional respect for all traditional
rituals the Villa Star proclaimed its firm loyalty to
Catholic orthodoxy.
Now we may return to the représentation of Leda
with swan, which was mentioned above, in connec-
tion with the sawing scene. We must stress that the
act takes place on an altar, because its meaning was
symbolical. In the ceiling of the first corridor it occu-
pies an important position, because it is one of the
first scenes one notes after entering the building. We
34 Cf. SETTIS, P.: Ars Moriendi: Cristo e Meleagro. In: Giornate
di Studio in ricordo di Giovanni Previtali. Scuola normale superi-
ore, Pisa, maggio, 1999, a cura di F. Caglioti, Serie 4, quader-
ni 1-2. Pisa 2000, p. 148.
35 DOLCE, L.: Le Transformation. Canto XVII. Venezia 1561.
36 Tutti li libri de Ovidio Metamorphoseos tradutti dal littéral al verso
vulgär con le sue allégorie in prosa. Venezia 1522, p. 8.
67