Historica

The department represents a privileged meeting point between history and collecting, through historical memorabilia and items linked to chivalric orders, military medals, militaria, and portraits of officers and politicians, heads of state, sovereigns, and men of the Church. The selection is completed by collectable historical objects such as miniatures, statues, and busts of famous figures, along with autographs, period documents, historical photographs, and mementoes of wartime events – and beyond.

 

Among its most significant fields of interest, the department pays particular attention to papal collecting, featuring pontifical zucchettos, official documents, letters, and proclamations that bring to life both well-known and lesser-known episodes in the Church and its hierarchy, offering a fascinating overview of ecclesiastical history through the centuries.

 

Historica thus becomes both a witness to and promoter of all that is connected to events that have shaped the military, religious, and political evolution of nations, establishing itself as a point of reference for enthusiasts of military and ecclesiastical history and historic memory.

 

It is not only a field dedicated to Italian and international collectors seeking to enhance or sell their collections, but also to those who, out of passion or curiosity, wish to explore the world of historic collecting, surrounded by unique and meaningful objects. A refined and unconventional form of collecting, which – like all expressions of human knowledge – is born from a love of culture, historical memory, war, and politics.

 

Among the most noteworthy sales are: a collection of three Grand Cross plaques from the 19th century (Lot 75 – Sale 489, sold for €40,000); the miniature by Gigola "Portrait of Eugène de Beauharnais, divisional general of the French Empire” (Lot 541 – Sale 489, sold for €12,500); the portrait of Count Luigi Visconti di Modrone by Giuseppe Molteni (Lot 358 – Sale 281, sold for €11,250); the Throne Room Standard bearing the coat of arms of King Alfonso XIII of Bourbon-Spain (Lot 65 – Sale 653, sold for €5,040); a Viennese cup and saucer from the 19th century featuring the profile of Leopold of Habsburg (Lot 512 – Sale 629, sold for €3,276); papal zucchettos belonging respectively to Pius X (Lot 53 – Sale 700, sold for €2,816) and Leo XIII (Lot 345 – Sale 653, sold for €1,638); and among the armour elements, a highlight is the pair of 16th-century tassets (thigh defences) (Lot 308 – Sale 606, sold for €1,512).