The blue of Genoa

The blue monochrome painted canvases from the Abbey of San Nicolò del Boschetto are made of indigo-dyed linen fiber and considered to be illustrious ancestors of the canvases of Genoa or jeans. These are fourteen sheets, dating back to 1538 and the 18th century, partly inspired by the engravings of Albrecht Durer. Purchased in 2001 by the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, they were placed in a temporary deposit at the Diocesan Museum. Among the authors the name of Teramo Piaggio (news from 1532 to 1554) and Giovanni Cambiaso have been proposed, dating back to 1540-45; the authors of the third more recent group are still not defined.