San Marino

2018

Commemorative coin

420th anniversary of the birth of Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Official Journal of the European Union

The centre of the coin features a detail from Bernini’s sculpture ‘Bust of Costanza Bonarelli’, and the dates ‘1598-2018’; at the edge, on the left is the inscription ‘SAN MARINO’, on the right the inscription ‘BERNINI’, the letter ‘R’ identifying the Mint of Rome and the initials of the artist Annalisa Masini ‘A.M.’. The coin’s outer ring depicts the 12 stars of the European flag.

Additional information

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was an Italian sculptor, painter and architect of the Classicist Baroque. He had a decisive influence on the development of Baroque sculpture and architecture in Rome. For example, he created the high altar ciborium above St. Peter's tomb in St. Peter's Basilica in 1624-1633, the sculpture "Rapture of St. Theresa" in 1645-1652 and the Colonnades in St. Peter's Square in 1656-1667. The coin shows the marble bust of Costanza Bonarelli (1614-1662), created by Bernini around 1637, one of the most beautiful and important works of art of the Baroque period (now in the National Museum of Bargello in Florence). Costanza was the wife of his assistant Matteo Bonarelli and his mistress. Because she also began a relationship with his brother Luigi Bernini, he beat him in front of St. Peter's out of jealousy and had Costanza attacked in her house by his servant, who cut her face. She went to prison for adultery, but Gian Lorenzo Bernini was only fined - after the intervention of Pope Urban VIII, who arranged the marriage with Caterina Tezio for him in 1639. Costanza, like Bernini later, was buried in the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Edge lettering

Designer