Berlusconi at a Forza Italia convention (April 28, 1994) - ANSA - How Forza Italia was born, at ilpost.it, June 13, 2023, via Wikipedia.
Who was Silvio Berlusconi?
Silvio Berlusconi, born in Milan on September 29, 1936, and passing away in Milan on June 12, 2023, was not only an Italian entrepreneur but also a prominent figure in politics, having served as the Prime Minister of Italy on four separate occasions.
Berlusconi was famously referred to as "il Cavaliere" (the Knight) and had earned the Order of Merit for Labor in 1977. However, he chose to relinquish this honor following a criminal conviction in 2014. His career began in the construction industry, but in 1975, he ventured into the financial sector by establishing Fininvest. In 1993, he expanded his interests further by founding the multimedia production company Mediaset. These enterprises later absorbed other firms, including Arnoldo Mondadori Editore and Silvio Berlusconi Communications. Throughout these endeavors, Berlusconi remained a symbolic figure within his family's business empire.
In anticipation of the 1994 elections, Berlusconi made a pivotal entry into the realm of politics. He founded Forza Italia, a center-right political party that later merged into Il Popolo della Libertà in 2008 and was subsequently restructured in 2013. Berlusconi's policies left a substantial imprint on Italian public life from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s, characterized by a style that came to be known as "berlusconismo." This approach enjoyed robust support from his political allies and voters and left an indelible mark on both Italian and international popular culture. However, it also faced vehement opposition, with critics frequently pointing out conflicts of interest and accusing him of enacting legislation tailored to his personal benefit. On the international stage, he is recognized as one of the first modern populists in European politics.
Berlusconi's political career saw him elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1994, a position he held for the subsequent four legislative terms. In 2013, he achieved another milestone by being elected as a senator for the first time. Over the course of his tenure, he served as Prime Minister on four occasions: during the XII legislature (1994-1995), two consecutive terms in the XIV (2001-2005 and 2005-2006), and, finally, in the XVI (2008-2011). His cumulative time in office amounted to 3339 days, setting a record for the longest-serving Prime Minister in the history of the Italian Republic. This record was surpassed only by Benito Mussolini and Giovanni Giolitti during the monarchy era. Furthermore, his second and fourth governments held the distinction of being the two longest-lasting administrations since the establishment of the Republic.
According to Forbes magazine, Berlusconi was estimated to possess a personal fortune of $7.3 billion in 2021, making him the sixth wealthiest individual in Italy and the 318th richest in the world. In 2009, Forbes ranked him 12th on its global list of the most influential people, acknowledging his significant role in Italian politics.
Berlusconi was embroiled in over thirty legal proceedings throughout his career. In 2013, he received a definitive conviction of four years in prison and a two-year ban from holding public office for tax fraud. As a result, he forfeited his senatorial position, putting an end to his nearly two-decade-long uninterrupted parliamentary tenure, which had spanned from April 1994 to November 2013.
In 2018, Berlusconi regained eligibility and was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in the 2019 European elections. Subsequently, in the Italian general elections held on September 25, 2022, he emerged victorious in the single-member constituency of Monza, marking his return to the Senate after a nine-year absence. He remained in office until his passing on June 12, 2023.
From left, Russian head of government Vladimir Putin, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Silvio Berlusconi at the official inauguration of the Blue Stream pipeline (Nov. 27, 2005), via Wikipedia.
24,000 works of art
Silvio Berlusconi, who passed away at the age of 86 on June 12, 2023, possessed an extensive and remarkable art collection comprising an astounding 24,000 pieces.
According to Vittorio Sgarbi, the Undersecretary for Culture, art was a profound passion for Berlusconi, ranking second only to his fascination with the opposite sex. Sgarbi remarked that Berlusconi's art collection served as a substitute for his affection for women, as he couldn't have 24,000 women, so he settled for 24,000 kisses, symbolizing the 24,000 paintings.
These artworks are housed in a hangar situated about one kilometer away from the Arcore villa. Interestingly, it was Sgarbi himself who proposed the idea of utilizing a hangar to establish a museum catering to those who have limited knowledge of art.
Sgarbi expressed his personal view, stating, "In my opinion, it would have been preferable to possess 2,400 high-quality paintings instead of 24,000 like these... However, it's a well-known fact that a conqueror prioritizes possession over the quality of the object."
The three Presidents of the United States (from left, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and his son George W. Bush) with Silvio Berlusconi on August 20, 2005, via Wikipedia.
The collection
According to some of his closest confidants, Berlusconi was known for his deep passion for art, amassing an extensive collection of paintings by renowned artists such as Titian, Parmigianino, and De Chirico. In fact, he acquired such a vast number of artworks that he required a sprawling 3,200 square meter warehouse to store them.
Cesare Lampronti, a prominent art dealer based in London often referred to as "Berlusconi's art curator," described the former Italian leader as a man driven by intense enthusiasm, both for life and the world of art. Berlusconi had a penchant for acquiring pieces that left a lasting impression on him, frequently purchasing them at auctions or through televised sales as a means to "escape" from the pressures of politics and business, according to Lampronti.
Although Berlusconi was considered an "independent" and "intuitive" collector, he regularly sought counsel from experts like Lampronti and Vittorio Sgarbi, an art critic and former Member of Parliament representing Berlusconi's right-wing Forza Italia party. Berlusconi's eclectic tastes extended across centuries, from the Renaissance era to the 20th century, and he was willing to spend anywhere from thousands to millions of euros on individual artworks. Lampronti noted that he even generously offered some of these pieces as gifts to "friends and acquaintances."
Many of Berlusconi's most valuable art pieces found their home in the opulent Villa San Martino, an 18th-century estate located in Arcore near Monza. This villa served as the political leader's powerbase, where he commissioned Tuscan sculptor Pietro Cascella to create a quasi-Futurist mausoleum from marble. Among the notable works housed in the villa were a replica of Parmigianino's Antea (1524-27), a portrait of post-war actor Anna Fallarino painted by Milanese artist Pietro Annigoni, and an artwork with an unidentified authorship resembling a rendition of Mona Lisa with exposed breasts, as reported by Sgarbi, now a culture ministry undersecretary, in 2020.
Sgarbi also highlighted the exceptional value of Titian's Portrait of Cardinal Ippolito de' Medici (1533), which was estimated to be worth €4 million to €5 million and was once exhibited at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Lampronti verified that this painting was indeed part of Berlusconi's collection.
In addition to the Villa San Martino, Berlusconi acquired a warehouse near Arcore in 2020, according to a spokesperson from Immobiliare Idra, the company managing his properties. Many of the artworks stored there were previously showcased in Villa Gernetto, another Berlusconi residence in the vicinity, the spokesperson noted. By the time of Berlusconi's passing, the warehouse contained an astounding 24,000 pieces, as disclosed by Sgarbi to the Askanews website in June.
During the last two years of his life, Berlusconi had purchased "a multitude of more affordable artworks," although Lampronti asserted that the size of his collection had been exaggerated. The Immobiliare Idra spokesperson indicated that numerous stored pieces held limited value, emphasizing, "We are not talking about paintings by Canaletto."
Berlusconi had plans to exhibit some of his finest acquisitions, including works by Lucio Fontana and Giorgio de Chirico, in a specially constructed gallery on the grounds of his San Martino residence. This plan was revealed by Rosalba Colombo, the left-wing mayor of Arcore from 2011 to 2021. Berlusconi had presented the gallery concept, designed by surveyor Francesco Magnano, as a "semi-circular" private exhibition space that would have been open to visitors on select days. However, due to bureaucratic hurdles, he abandoned the project a year later, according to Colombo.
Following Berlusconi's passing, Sgarbi has renewed his call for the creation of a museum to house the art collection. He suggested implementing a €25 entry fee to support this endeavor. However, the ultimate decision regarding the project's fate lies with Berlusconi's family rather than the culture ministry. While details of Berlusconi's will had not been disclosed at the time of this report, commentators speculated that Marta Fascina, Berlusconi's last partner, would likely inherit control of the villa.
Silvio Berlusconi and Mike Bongiorno in a photo from the early 1980s. The renowned television presenter was a constant presence on the entrepreneur's commercial television channels from 1979 to 2009., via Wikipedia.
The artworks purchased from TV shopping channels.
Alessandro Orlando, a renowned figure from Telemarket specializing in the sales and auctions of art pieces, shares this account. It's reported that Berlusconi acquired "2,500 paintings over a span of 2 and a half years" from him. Orlando delves into the intricacies of this narrative, being a trailblazing presence in the world of Telemarket and one of the pioneers in selling art on television. He essentially blazed a trail in this domain. During one evening, amid an auction, he received a phone call that, at first, he didn't take too seriously. He reminisces, "It was the year 2018, and I was live on the air, as I was every night from 9 pm to 1 am. Around midnight, as was customary, the centerpiece of the evening was unveiled - on that particular night, it was a masterpiece attributed to the Flemish artist van Dyck, depicting a Madonna with a child. It was a form of auction, and we had reached approximately 45,000 euros in bids.
Then, one of my associates received a call from a gentleman who asserted, 'I'm Berlusconi, and I'm offering 50,000.' To this, he responded, 'And I am Napoleon,' and promptly ended the call." Orlando continues his narrative, revealing that they subsequently received another phone call, and "later on, we ascertained that the voice belonged to Marta Fascina. She conveyed that she was indeed representing President Berlusconi, who was genuinely keen to make a purchase." Berlusconi effectively secured the artwork for 62,000 euros, which Orlando personally delivered to Arcore. "He heaped me with compliments, hailing me as the preeminent salesperson in Italy. This was followed by 25 more visits: he acquired 2,500 paintings from me, encompassing numerous religious subjects, as well as depictions of female nudes and over a thousand Russian artworks, all within the span of 2 and a half years. By my estimation, he expended around 3 million euros through my services."
Selena Mattei
