Week 7: 225

After our walking tour of Bernini, we discovered many bees floating around on several fountains and monuments. For this art blog, I am going to discuss the importance and history of these bees.
To Bee or not to Bee. Is that really the question? For the Barberini family, it was no question that the bee was going to be their family symbol. As the family began to prosper, they moved to Florence. Once in Florence, they changed their last name Tafani (black horse-flies) to Barberini, which is taken from their home town of Barberino. After they changed their name from Tafani, they upgraded their family crest from three horse-flies, to three golden bees, which they felt was more appropriate for a high class family flourishing in Florence. The bees basically represent iconographic social climbing. Another interesting interpretation was that the bees represent teamwork and industriousness, which are two well-known characteristics of Barberini, but this interpretation came later.
Barberini’s bees can be found in many art pieces around the city. For example, one of the most popular places, other than the family coat of arms, that the bee is shown is at the base of the badacchino of Bernini in St. Peter’s Basilica. It is also found on another one of Bernini’s works called the Triton Fountain, located in Piazza Barberini. Also in Piazza Barberini, there was the Fountain of Bees, which we were told was the best water in Rome. It is also interesting to note that the image of the bee is on vestments worn by priests, in the museum beneath the Santa Maria Maggiore.
It is clear that this symbol of the bee was very significant to Roman art and culture. The bees continue to appear around the city and represent more than we know. The Barberini family was determined to leave their mark and because of that will survive forever.