Castellani (goldsmiths)

The Castellani were a family of goldsmiths, collectors, antique dealers and potters who created a business "empire" active in Rome during the 18th and 19th centuries.

History

Fortunato Pio Castellani (1794–1865) is regarded as the forefather of the family. In 1814, Fortunato opened his own workshop in Rome. The progenitor specialized in the creation of jewels emulating the ones that then came to light from the necropolis of Etruria, that were found in the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum or that could be observed in the Campana collection. Initiating a partnership with Duke Michelangelo Caetani, a lover of fine arts and a designer of jewels himself, allowed Fortunato Castellani to quickly work for the most illustrious aristocratic families, initially Roman and at a later date even European. Fortunato also imported luxurious goldsmith works from the rest of Europe to be resold in Rome.

Fortunato had three sons. His sons Augusto and Alessandro worked with their father and continued their activities as goldsmiths and antiquarian; his third son, Guglielmo, instead devoted himself to the art of ceramics. Fortunato Pio retired in 1850. The Castellani of the second generation devoted themselves only to the trade of jewels of their own production or to the sale of archaeological finds. The creative part was entrusted to Alessandro Castellani and Michelangelo Caetani, while Augusto was mainly interested in the financial aspects of the company. In 1859, the Castellani devoted themselves for five months to the restoration and cataloguing of the Campana Collection; they thus had the opportunity to refine their observations on the technique of granulation and filigree and to finally achieve an acceptable reproduction of them.

During the second half of the 19th century, the Castellani goldsmiths had a leading role in the European market. Alessandro, who had fled to France for political reasons in 1860, opened with great success new locations in Paris and Naples in which antiquities, mainly of Etruscan origin, were traded. Clients included Napoleon III, the Louvre Museum and the British Museum, directed by Sir Isaac Newton. It has been hypothesized that some Etruscan finds traded by the Castellani were imitations. Recent chemical analyses on some antiquarian finds sold by the Castellani to the Berlin Museum have confirmed that Alessandro Castellani sometimes also sold false finds.

When Alessandro died in 1883, his brother Augusto transformed the shop into a private museum. The trading activity continued with the nephews Alfredo and Torquato, sons of Augusto and Alessandro respectively; the first was a goldsmith, the second a ceramist. Their deaths, which occurred in the 1930s, coincided with the end of the family's trading activity.

Family members

• Fortunato Pio Castellani (1794–1865) - the progenitor, goldsmith, antiquarian
• Alessandro Castellani (1823–1883) - son of Fortunato, patriot in favour of Mazzini, goldsmith, antiquarian
• Augusto Castellani (1829–1914) - son of Fortunato, goldsmith, antiquarian, collector
• Guglielmo Castellani (1836–1896) - son of Fortunato, ceramist
• Torquato Castellani (1846–1931) - son of Alessandro, ceramist
• Olga Castellani (1879–1965) - daughter of Torquato, ceramist
• Pio Fabri (1847–1927) - son-in-law of Augustus, ceramist
• Alfredo Castellani (1856–1930) - son of Augustus, goldsmith and restorer

Castellani jewellery collection

The Castellani have preserved and donated to the Italian State the jewels they created during their centenary activity that remained in their possession. These jewels are now exhibited in the National Museum of Villa Giulia. Augustus, who had donated a large collection of rare pieces to the Capitoline Museums and the Artistic-Industrial Museum of Rome, left his collection of Greek, Italiot and Etruscan vases, bronzes, ivories, jewels and coins to his son Alfredo on his death. Alfredo, the last male descendant of the Castellani, donated almost all of the collection to the Italian State with only two exceptions: a gospel blanket in gold, sapphires, pearls and ivory, and a votive crown in gold, pearls and rubies left, by testamentary will, to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, where they are exhibited at the Basilica's Treasure Museum.

Gallery

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  Phoenician craftsmen, patera in silver and gold with the king's hunting day, c. 675-650 BC, from Bernardini's tomb in the necr. of the colombella in palestrina
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  Carthage, corsair-headed pendants in glass paste, 510-250 BC ca.
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  Carthage, faience corsair head pendants, c. 510-250 BC
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  Gold necklace with bulle, 310-290 BC, from the tomb of gold in the necr. of the fishpond in todi
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Archaic period, 6th century BC, 01
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Archaic period, 6th century BC, rings 01
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the archaic period, 6th century BC, necklace with bulla pendants and more
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Archaic period, 6th century BC, necklace with pine cone pendants
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the archaic period, 6th century BC, gold and faience necklace
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Archaic period, 6th century BC, disc fibula with gorgoneion
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Archaic period, 6th century BC, stirrup fibula with leonine protomes 02
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Archaic period, 6th century BC, disc fibulae with granulation decoration
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the archaic period, 6th century BC, box earrings 01
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the archaic period, 6th century BC, box earrings 02
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the archaic period, 6th century BC, box earrings 03
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the classical and late classical period, 4th-2nd century BC, knitted necklace
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  Etruria, classical and late classical goldsmiths, 4th-2nd century BC, palmette necklace with amphora pendants, from cerveteri (gilded terracotta)
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the classical and late classical period, 4th-2nd century BC, necklace with small spheres
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the classical and late classical period, 4th-2nd century BC, necklace with clasp with protomes
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  Etruria, classical and late classical goldsmiths, 4th-2nd century BC, necklace with acorn pendant clasp
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  Etruria, classical and late classical goldsmiths, 4th-2nd century BC, ivy-leaf crown
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the classical and late classical period, 4th-2nd century BC, crown with lanceolate leaves
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the classical and late classical period, 4th-2nd century BC, circular rosette decorations
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  Etruria, oreficerie del periodo classico e tardo classico, IV-II secolo ac., orecchini a cornucopia, da ruvo di puglia
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the classical and late classical period, 4th-2nd century BC, earrings with leonin protomes from cerveteri
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the classical and late classical period, 4th-2nd century BC, pendants
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the classical and late classical period, 4th-2nd century BC, breastplate with star and crescent-shaped bracts rebuilt by the castellans (surroundings of Bolsena)
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Hellenistic period, c. 310-100 BC, necklace with vague glass pastes millefiori 01
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Hellenistic period, c. 310-100 BC, necklace with vague glass pastes millefiori 03
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Hellenistic period, c. 310-100 BC, necklace with vague glass pastes millefiori 04
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Hellenistic period, c. 310-100 BC, necklace with vague glass pastes millefiori 05
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, necklace with faience rings and gold pendants
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, necklaces with pendants
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Hellenistic period, c. 310-100 BC, funeral wreath
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  Etruria, Hellenistic period goldsmiths, c. 310-100 BC, head with laurel wreath diadem
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Hellenistic period, c. 310-100 BC, oval shield earrings with a cluster hanging in rows of globes 01
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Hellenistic period, c. 310-100 BC, oval shield earrings with a cluster hanging in rows of globes 02
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Hellenistic period, c. 310-100 BC, oval shield earrings with a cluster hanging in rows of globes 03
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the Hellenistic period, c. 310-100 BC, earrings with doves
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, gold and amber necklaces, from cerveteri
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, spiral braid holder 01
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  Etruria, goldsmiths of the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, spiral braid holder 02
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, braid holder with granulation decoration
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, amber fibulae with gold leaf 01
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, amber fibulae with gold leaf 02
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, amber fibulae with gold leaf 03
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, amber and metal fibulae
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, silver and gold fibulae
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, gold and amber fibulae
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, gold fibulae
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, lamellae
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, amber pendants with a female figure, from the galeassi tomb in palestrina
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, amber pendants with crouching monkeys, from the galeassi tomb in palestrina
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, bulla pendant
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, pendant
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, breastplate from the Galeassi tomb in Palestrina, re-worked by the Castellani 02
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, breastplate from the Galeassi tomb in Palestrina, re-worked by the Castellani 022
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  Etruria, goldsmiths from the orientalizing period, 7th century BC, breastplate from the Galeassi tomb in Palestrina, re-worked by the Castellani 023
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, chain with spirals
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, necklace 06
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  Iron Age, Piceno, mid-Adriatic and southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, necklace with rings and large amber pendant
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, necklace with bulle
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  Iron Age, Piceno, mid-adriatic and southern Italian jewelry, c. 800-690 BC, necklace with large amber vague
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  Iron Age, piceni, mid-adriatic and southern Italy jewelry, c.800-690 bc, necklace with arrowhead pendants, from norcia
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  Iron Age, Piceno, mid-adriatic and southern Italy jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, necklace with spirals
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, glass paste necklace 01
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, glass paste necklace 02
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, eyeglass fibulae
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, pendant 01
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c.800-690 BC, pendant with horses, bulles and hands
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, pendant 01
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  Iron Age, Piceno, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, breastplate with pendants
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  Iron Age, Piceni, Mid-Adriatic and Southern Italian jewellery, c. 800-690 BC, amber vague
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  Minoan gem with man with open arms between two animal-headed figures carrying amphorae, from tarquinia, 15th-14th century BC
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  Kotyle in gold with pairs of sphinxes, c. 675-650 BC, from the bernardini tomb in the necr. of the colombella in palestrina
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  Etruscan-museum-of-villa-giulia --- ori-castellani --- cameo 32476200292 o
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  Etruscan-museum-of-villa-giulia --- ori-castellani-etruscan-brooch 32627086395 o
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  Early medieval goldsmiths, approx. 590 AD, large stirrup fibula, from rieti
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  Early medieval goldsmiths, Goths, belt buckle with cloisonné almandins on gold leaf, c. 490 AD. 02
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, bracelet with globules
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, bracelet with small pyramids
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, glass paste necklace
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, belt buckle 06
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, belt buckle with almandines 03
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, belt buckle with drop almandines, from barete (AQ) 01
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, belt buckle with drop almandines, from barete (AQ) 02
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, belt buckle
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, disc fibulae
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, animal-shaped fibulae
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, S 01 fibulae
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, S 02 fibulae
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, stirrup fibulae 01
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  Early medieval jewellery, 5th-7th century, stirrup fibulae 02
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  Castellani goldsmiths, 27 pieces of antique jewellery, 19th century (rome, villa giulia) 01,1
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  Castellani goldsmiths, 27 pieces of antique jewellery, 19th century (rome, villa giulia) 01
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  Castellani goldsmiths, 27 pieces of antique jewellery, 19th century (rome, villa giulia) 02,2
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  Castellani goldsmiths, 27 pieces of antique jewellery, 19th century (rome, villa giulia) 02
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, crest needle 01
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the antique in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, bracelets
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, fibula 01
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, bracelet 01
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, bracelet 02
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, necklace 01
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, necklace 02
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, necklace 03
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, necklace 04
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, necklace 05
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, necklace 06
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, necklace 07
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, necklace 08
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, pectoral cross
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the antique partly by incorporating original materials, 19th century, fibula with winged lion and ducks
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the antique in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, earrings 01
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, ship earrings with bunches
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, brooch 01
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, brooch 02
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, brooch 03
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, brooch 04
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the ancient in part by incorporating original materials, 19th century, brooch with a Gothic style cameo
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  Castellani golds, made in imitation of the antique partly by incorporating original materials, 19th century, brooch with micromosaic owl
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  Part of a necklace with amber beads and silver pendants, from the Castellani Tomb in Palestrina, c. 700-675 BC. 01
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  Part of a necklace with amber beads and silver pendants, from the Castellani Tomb in Palestrina, c. 700-675 BC. 02
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  Gold plate with stylized animals, c. 675-650 BC, from the Barberini tomb in the necr. of the colombella in palestrina
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  Small lebete with snake heads and engravings of birds, warriors and knights, silver, c. 675-650 BC, from t. bernardini necr. of the colombella in palestrina
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  Late Mycenaean blue glass diadem plaques, from Rhodes, 14th-13th century BC
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  Rome, republic or empire, goldsmiths, 1st century BC-3rd AD, rings 01
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  Rome, republic or empire, goldsmiths, 1st century BC-3rd AD, snake rings and with a bust of osiris
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  Rome, republic or empire, goldsmiths, 1st century BC-3rd AD, iron key rings for soldiers responsible for castra
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  Rome, republic or empire, goldsmiths, 1st century BC-3rd AD, snake armilla
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  Rome, republic or empire, goldsmiths, 1st century BC-3rd AD, necklace
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  Rome, republic or empire, goldsmithery, 1st century BC-3rd AD, gold and precious stone necklaces
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  Rome, republic or empire, jewellery, 1st century BC-3rd AD, earrings with pendants
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  Rome, republic or empire, goldsmiths, 1st century BC-3rd AD, scepter with eagle's head 01
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  Rome, republic or empire, goldsmiths, 1st century BC-3rd AD, scepter with eagle's head 02
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  Rome, republic or empire, goldsmiths, 1st century BC-3rd AD, ivory tondo with Calydonian hunting
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  Skiphos in silver foil, from the castellani tomb in palestrina, c.700-675 BC

Bibliography

• G. Bordenache Battaglia, «CASTELLANI». In: Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 1978 (on-line).
• Ministero per i Beni e le Attività culturali, Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici del Lazio, I Castellani e l'oreficeria archeologica italiana : New York, the bard graduate center for studies in the decorative arts, 18 novembre 2004-6 febbraio 2005; Londra, Somerset house, 5 maggio-18 settembre 2005; Roma, Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia, 11 novembre 2005-26 febbraio 2006, Roma: "L'Erma" di Bretschneider, 2005. ISBN 88-8265-354-4 (Google books).
• Sante Guido, L'oreficeria sacra dei Castellani in Vaticano, Città del Vaticano: Edizioni Capitolo Vaticano, 2011 - (Archivium Sancti Petri). ISBN 9788863390223.
• Sante Guido, Il Calice Castellani nel Museo della Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore , Roma: Lisanti Editore - (Studia Liberiana IV). ISBN 9788890583810.

External links

• "Cinzia Capalbo, L'economia del lusso a Roma fra Ottocento e Novecento. Le officine Castellani. (pdf)".