San Marino · 530th anniversary of the death of Domenico Ghirlandaio

Issue date5 Sept 2024

Total mintage59,000

EU maximum56,000

Editions2

Edge lettering2 ★ × 6, alternately upright/inverted

InscriptionSAN MARINO / R / GHIRLANDAIO / 1494 / 2024 / VdS

DesignerValerio de Seta

mintInstituto Poligrafico e Zecca Dello Stato, Roma

Issue occasion

The coin commemorates the 530th anniversary of the death of Domenico Ghirlandaio. The design depicts the praying Madonna, a detail from his painting “Adoration of the Shepherds” in the Sassetti Chapel of Santa Trinità in Florence. The depiction is complemented by the inscriptions “SAN MARINO” and “GHIRLANDAIO” as well as the years “1494” and “2024”.

The design

At the center is the praying Madonna, a detail from the painting “Adoration of the Shepherds” by Domenico Ghirlandaio, located in the Sassetti Chapel of Santa Trinità (Florence). On the left are the inscription “SAN MARINO” and the letter “R” as the mark of the Mint of Rome; on the right are the inscription “GHIRLANDAIO” and the years “1494” and “2024”. At the bottom are the initials of the artist Valerio de Seta (“VdS”).

The outer ring of the coin features the twelve stars of the European flag.

Background on the topic

Domenico Ghirlandaio was a Florentine painter of the early Renaissance. His nickname probably derives from his father’s profession as a goldsmith who made garland-like ornaments. Ghirlandaio ran a productive workshop in Florenz and worked primarily on frescoes, altarpieces and portraits. His patrons included wealthy merchant families and ecclesiastical institutions. The young Michelangelo also worked in his workshop for a time.

Ghirlandaio’s works frequently combine religious narratives with the Florenz of his own time. Biblical figures and saints appear in clearly structured spatial settings, while clothing, architecture and portraits refer to the urban society of the 15th century. As a result, his paintings served not only a religious function but also acted for the donor families as an expression of their social rank. Outside Florenz, Ghirlandaio was involved, among other projects, in the decoration of the Sistine Chapel (Sixtinische Kapelle) in Rome.

The Sassetti Chapel was the family chapel of the Florentine banker Francesco Sassetti, who was closely associated with the Medici Bank. Its pictorial programme is dedicated to Saint Franziskus, the patron saint of the patron. Ghirlandaio decorated the walls with scenes from his life. In doing so, he transposed individual events into a Florentine setting and included portraits of members of the Sassetti family as well as people from the circle of the Medici.

The altarpiece used as the model for the coin was also created for this chapel. Its composition shows influences of Dutch painting, which was being closely studied in Florenz at the time. At the same time, it contains references to antiquity, for example through architectural fragments and a stone sarcophagus serving as a manger. Christian salvation history, the ancient heritage and contemporary visual culture are thus combined.

No direct biographical connection between Ghirlandaio and San Marino can be identified. Rather, the issue forms part of the regular San Marino coin programmes dedicated to artists and anniversaries in European cultural history.