Gli anni romani di Jacques Stella (1622-1634) e due nuovi suoi quadri per la Cattedrale di Amelia al tempo del vescovo Domenico Pichi (1623-1633)

A few years ago, two important long-forgotten paintings representing the Annunciation of Mary and the Adoration of the Shepherds were found in a depot of the cathedral of Amelia. The two paintings, coming from the chapel dedicated to the Assumption in the same cathedral, had already been attributed to the Florentine painter Pompeo Caccini. Following the discovery of the date (1628) and signature of the French painter Jacques Stella during a skillful restoration of the Annunciation, the present research assigns both canvases to Stella, whose long activity in Rome has been examined as well. The canvases are then traced back to the commission of the bishop of Amelia Domenico Pichi, a personality linked to the Barberini court and particularly attentiveto the contemporary artistic environment.