Houses and trees seen above a wall

In the last years of the 1530s, as a member of several diplomatic delegations, Cibo traveled to Germany, France, and Flanders. Soon afterwards he decided to retire and live a more secluded life in Rocca Contrada (today’s Arcevia), a small settlement in the Marche region. Although his landscapes portray views of the region in the Italian Apennines where he lived, for a long time they have been thought to be works by Flemish artists. Not only had Cibo visited Northern Europe, but he was deeply influenced by Flemish landscapists, known to him through prints. At times he directly borrowed individual motifs from prints and mixed them with details observed from life. Cibo’s alluring creations on blue paper, whether fictitious or topographically correct, remain among the most charming landscapes from 16th Century Italy.