"Originally from the small Tuscan town of Barberino Val d’Elsa, the Barberini family moved to the regional metropolis of Florence in the early 11th century. They grew prosperous as wool, grain and textile merchants, but later came into conflict with the powerful Medici dynasty and fled to Rome after the Medici seized control of Florence in the 1500s. This did not deter the Medici from assassinating prominent Barberini family member Francesco di Antonio, but his son Francesco di Carlo survived to see their business flourish and ultimately rose to the exalted position of papal treasurer. The family’s good fortune was to continue, and in 1623 Cardinal Maffeo Barberini was ordained Pope Urban VIII."- Excerpt from an entertaining article about the House of Barberini from Ben's Bees. While not the most popular pope in some respects, Pope Urban was an avid supporter and collector of art. In fact, the many members of the Barberini dynasty were all great patrons of the arts, amassing an impressive collection which can be found at the Palazzo Barberini in Rome and museums throughout the world. Inset left is an example: a stunning twin-tailed mermaid or mixoparthenos - a Vitruvian mermaid, if you think about it - housed at the Met Museum in New York. And, let's face it, this bronze siren is a show-stopper. Upon finding her, I simply had to know more about her origins.
"With Pope Urban VIII, Gian Lorenzo Bernini became the official artist of the court and it is to this architect and artist that we owe the creation of many objects that adorn the city centre of the capital. The Barberini family had a coat of arms that included three bees on a blue background next to a papal tiara and to the keys of St. Peter. It is no coincidence that many popes and prominent figures resorted to symbols to express their position and to emphasize their own programs and ideals. The bee has always been a symbol of hard work, dedication, and eloquence. St. Ambrose and St. Bernard of Clairvaux, both connoisseurs and propagators of the Holy Scriptures were associated with this symbol, and in hagiographic sources they are often at the centre of episodes with bees as protagonists.
The church was often seen and interpreted since the early Christian ages as a beehive, in other words as a community in which believers and figures of the clergy were like little laborious and devoted bees. Honey was so a metaphor of the sweetness of the divine word and the Christological message."
- Via another informative article regarding the mysterious Barberini family. Their coat-of-arms can also be seen on the coin inset right...
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