The Sotta: a family of artists

The Sotta

The founder, Francesco Maria Sotta, design teacher, was the first of a long line of heirs who, together with many colleagues, made our “Valley of Painters” worthy of that name.

From the end of the eighteenth century, Carlo Giuseppe, Luigi and Gioacchino, sons of Francesco Maria, was also design teachers and esteemed painters, as well as at home, also in Paris, Rome, New Orleans and Saint Petersburg.

Around Malesco, we can still admire the most important works in the Oratory of San Bernardino and in the Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul.

About fifteen are the artists named Sotta and remebered even now, a family of successes that reaches Giuseppe Antonio, son of Pietro Antonio, who is the last in the history’s tradition.

Some of the works that can be visited:

Church of St. Peter and Paul in Malesco

• Francesco Maria Sotta “Via Crucis, Station II”
• Luigi Sotta “Trasfiguration” (copy from Raffaello Sanzio’s work)
• Luigi Sotta “Madonna of Re”
• Giacomo Antonio Sotta “Virgin with Child”
• Giovanni Antonio and Carlo Giuseppe Sotta “X Station of the Via Crucis”
• Giovanni Antonio and Carlo Giuseppe Sotta “XI Station of the Via Crucis”
• Giovanni Antonio and Carlo Giuseppe Sotta “XIII Station of the Via Crucis”

St. Bernardino’s Oratory in Malesco:

• Giovanni Antonio Sotta “The Annunciation”
• Giovanni Antonio Sotta “Visitation of Mary”
• Luigi Sotta “Ecce Homo” (copy from Guido Reni)

Town Hall of Malesco:

• Francesco Maria Sotta “Portrait of Giovanni Maria Salati”

To learn more, you can buy the book titled “La pittura dei Sotta”, di Gnemmi Dario, Ed. Comune di Malesco, Malesco, 2002, at the Park’s Museum. Visit the shop