Anche la fede serviva all’amore; anzi tutto serviva alla fede d’amare”. La vicenda collezionistica del coretto di Torchiara dai Windsor a Lino Pesaro
Elisa Marangon
The Coretto di Torchiara is a wooden grandstand originally placed in the Castle of Torrechiara, in the village of Langhirano, Parma countryside. It is better known for being an historical fake furniture, made in the mid-19th century by using original Renaissance wood pieces. This article firstly analyses the legal cause between the Italian Ministry of Education and the private owner of the castle, occurred between 1911 and 1914, brought about by the illegal sale of the furniture. Secondly, focus is laid on the interest of the Dukes of Windsor, the late Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson for the tribune, in the context of international collecting in the 1930s. Finally, the third part compares antique dealer Elia Volpi’s actions with the gallerist Lino Pesaro’s, who helped the Ministry negotiating the purchase of the piece of furniture.