Painter, decorator, illustrator, calligraphy and art teacher.

Dino Mora was born in Colorno on 21 April 1880. He was from a modest but respectable family, the son of Antonio (a barber) and of Domizio Delfrate’s sister, Maria Rosa.

His career had humble origins though his uncommon artistic gifts were apparent from a very young age. With  financial help from his maternal uncle and at the cost of considerable sacrifice he attended the Institute of Fine Art in Parma. Here, as a pupil of Cecrope Barilli,  he obtained his school leaving certificate at the age of just seventeen, winning the first prize for Ornamental Design and two mentions of distinction.

Dino Mora leaves his mark as an original and active painter with a light, confident touch, gifted with good taste and a unique imagination for ornamental design. His visual memory was nothing short of photographic, he could remember and reproduce works of art done up to fifty years earlier; a number of his drawings and paintings recreated from memory testify to this.

His life as an artist began at  the age of barely fifteen.  It was to be a career full of  important and much admired  artistic endeavours. These include:  - The large picture,  Nativity of John the Baptist, patron saint of the parish of Basilicanova of Montechiarugolo (Parma), conceived and painted in  1899 and commended by art critics; - The six ladies in bronze depicting the Madonna of the Alps, conceived and modelled on commission by the firm Bimbi and subsequently placed in  various refuge chapels in the highest mountains around Parma.

At the turn of the century he painted frescoes, oil paintings and sacred art decorations in the churches around Parma:  CASALE di Mezzani – CASALTONE of Sorbolo – COLORNO – BASILICAGOIANO  of BASILICANOVA  of Montechiarugolo – FORNIO of Fidenza – GUARDASONE, MAMIANO and TRAVERSETOLO – MIANO, ROCCALANZONA, S. LUCIA and VARANO MARCHESI of Medesano – MALANDRIANO – ORZALE of Neviano Arduini – TORRICELLA of SISSA and others,  yet  to be rediscovered.

In S. Margherita’s Cathedral  V.M. in Colorno he decorated most of the chapels :  For San Rocco he also painted the charity scenes of Saint Joseph, All Saints, Saint Anthony, the Madonna, Saint Charles and Saint Claudius. In addition,  he  did two oil paintings , Saint Angela Merici and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

As well as decorating churches, he also used his skills to decorate inside and outside private houses in Colorno and elsewhere.

From the ‘Province of Parma’s Cinematographic society’ we learn that he decorated the large projection room and the waiting rooms of the ex cinema Hesperia to commemorate its restoration, and he also did the huge allegorical paintings on the external façade of the building.

At the age of twenty two (1902)  the militant Genoese Catholic newspaper L’Eco d’Italia, commissioned him as its artistic contributor, deeming him the ideal artist to depict its figures with contemporary relevance.

Under the guidance of his friend Prof. Glauco Lombardi, (academic and researcher on the historical and artistic life of the Colornese ‘Versailles’), and with the aid of documents and drawings from  that  period, he did illustrations of Colorno’s most distinctive monuments. These historical constructions attest to his creative talents and enrich the historical heritage of the town.

These illustrations include:

- The feudal castle of Colorno in 1500, upon whose walls theDucal palace would be  built and in later times would be fully converted into a Royal palace;
- Atrium and Portico of the Ducal palace.
- The Ducal Villa of the Farnese, Colorno, 1728
- The Ducal Theatre of the Farnese Villa built in 1700 by the architect Ferdinando Bibbiena and demolished in 1887 to make room for the women’s mental asylum;
- Hunting by the Farnesian court in the Ducal wood of Colorno;
- First conversion of the fortress of Colorno into Ducal palace;
- View of the Farnese Villa  garden  in Colorno, 1726;
- The Throne room of the Ducal palace;
- The Dome of S.Margherita in its primitive gothic-lombardic form, 1400;
- View of the Farnese Villa  garden  as seen from the fountain depicting  of Persepone;
- Poland’s war of succession ‘Skirmishes in  Colorno’ May – June 1734:

. 26 May:  On the road leading  to Parma, Hussars and German Dragons attempt to occupy Colorno then  under the defence of the Franco Sardinians;
. 1 June: death of the German general Mmarquis Leoplol of Ligneville (Assault of Potager)
. 2-3 June: German troops devastate the Palace and the Ducal Garden;
. 5 June – German artillery bomb the water tower occupied by the Franco Sardinians
.5June – Entry of C. Emanuele 111 of Savoy following the German retreat.

Illustrator of the monograph PARMA’S FARNESE THEATRE, published by the Deputation of history and nation for the province of Parma (1909) and the first publication of AUREA PARMA, (Golden Parma), founded by G.Lombardi and G.Melli (1912).

He painted the scenery for the stage curtains for the theatre in Borgo San Donnino, now Fidenza di Parma, and  also the Catholic theatre of Busseto, (1911) complete with 25 figures depicting the meeting between Charles V with Pope Paul 111 Farnese at Busseto. In 1913 he also painted the scenery for the stage curtain of the New Theatre in Rimini depicting the Triumph of Art, much praised and admired for its four life-size horses.

In 1919, commissioned by the Countess Tea Raggio Spinola and the Marchioness Emanuela, he designed  two artistic calendars, which they distributed to the soldiers who were  to be honoured for the  victorious peace.

Tired of the nomadic life typical of creative artists, he then went to impart his skills in secondary school teaching, first taking up a post in Cremona as a supply teacher. After passing his teaching exams he then took up the best teaching posts in : Rimini (1912), “Teaching Course” Rome, (1915), the technical school, “Aldo Manuzio” and Genoa (1918) and finally the technical school “Dante Alighieri” in Sestri Ponente.

Coming third in the special examination for an art teaching post, it was certain he would return to Rome.  On the insistence of friends and acquaintances in Genoa and Sestri who wanted him to stay in Ligura, he applied for and won the teaching post at the technical school “G.Mameli” (1920) in Genoa. He left Sestri with a splendid gold medal, presented to him by the Catholic Popular Club of which he was an honorary member.

On the 5 September 1921 he married Maria Francesca Bistolfi “Fanny” in Genovaand, at the end of years 1920, he left his teaching post in Genova and took up a place at the  secondary school “Ugolino Vivaldi” in Nervi. In the 1930 he welcomed his brother Luigi’s eldest child, his niece Rosetta, into his household. For health reasons life in damp Colorno had proved unfavourable.

His role as a teacher did not prevent him from pursuing his artistic work in a number of Italian cities, and in Genoa, where he illustrated books, newspapers, magazines and bulletins for the best known Genoese sanctuaries,  Mora’s graphic art had an even wider scope.
Illustrator of:

- FOGLIETTE PUR MO’ NATE – ABC books, primers, and the first letters of Clelia Falconi, Copyright ‘La Nuova Italia ‘ – publishers, Venice 1927.
- THE LORETO LITANIES – commemorative edition for the Ephesian Council’s XV centenary Rev. Domenico Razzore – Rector of the ‘ACQUASANTA’ Sanctuary, Genoa 1931.
Important Marian work, recognised and blessed by the Holy Father, signed by Cardinal Pacelli 1931.
«Author of many, remarkable paintings earning him quite deservedly the praise of experts, he would rise to even greater heights if he did not love to surround himself with excessive modesty.»
(Well deserved praise , from Pro Guardia – Official Bulletin, N.1, January, XV11, Genoa.)

In the scholastic field he distinguished himself through his ability to impart the precious gifts of his knowledge, encouraging and guiding his young pupils throughout their artistic and personal development. He also never failed to support and promote charity and advertising initiatives.

Despite being far from Colorno, he never forgot his birthplace. It gave him great joy to return there,
especially in  the summer, to be with  family and friends.

Throughout his life he had a strong bond with his brother Luigi, who shared his interest in artistic design. Dino designed for him the basis for creating pictures inlaid with a particular wheat straw from Florence. 

Prof. Dino Mora died in Nervi (Genoa) on 16 June 1950 leaving his wife and his young niece Rosetta. He is buried in the local cemetery and continues to be honoured by the visits of grateful pupils.

Some years after his death numerous works of his art, which had been selected to appear in a posthumous exhibition of exceptional interest , were stolen from his home in Nervi.  Fortunately, they were later found and after his wife’s death were bequeathed to his nephew Dino, son of his brother Luigi.

Qualifications, acknowledgments and exhibitions:

1897
Parma – First prize and certificate in the 2nd special course in ornamental design – Institute of Fine Art.

1898
Parma, 12 March – First class honourable mention in Art History -  Institute of Fine Art.

1899
Rome, 22 January – presentation of Gold medal for the artistic decoration of ceramics-First International Exhibition of Sample Collections – December 1898.

1905
Rome – Honoured by King Victor Emanuel 111 and Pope Pius X in response to his artistic scrolls featuring The Glorious Events of the Savoy Dynasty.

1907
Bologna –Gold Medal Award for artistic advertising.

1908
Parma – 17 July – diploma in art teaching in technical and standard schools, gaining 331/400 – Ministry of Public education.

1911
Casalmaggiore (Cremona), April –The Gold Medal awardfor the exhibition of  decorative art at the Agro – Industrial Exposition – September 1910.

1914
Milan, 24 March – the Honorary Cross  for Work award for artistic and ornamental design while listed in the Golden Book of honorary members for work. Golden Book of honorary members for work. (Gran Libro d’Oro dei Benemeriti del lavoro ) published by The Modern Illustrated Exposition Catalogue, dedicated to King Victor Emanuel 111.

1919
Rimini, Honorary Cross  for Work

1919
Sestri Ponente (Genoa) – Individual artists’ exhibition for War Veterans, 520 exhibits.
With his brother Cav. Luigi 1stItalian artist in straw inlaying.

1920
Sestri Ponente (Genoa), 18 July, honorary award for his steadfast, loyal cooperation, his patriotic spirit and efficiency ,when working alongside the Citizens’Committee of Civil Assistence duringthe war of redemption.
1922
Colorno, 4 June - honorary award for insignia design and for the Public Assistence flag.

1923
Milan - honorary and teamwork award for his artistic work following the 1^ General Tricolour Exposition for the Assessment of Italian Industries.

1924
Rome – nominated Knight of the Italian Crown for scholastic honours.

1924
Milan, 12 december – nominated Honorary Member and Patron Of the Institute of Propaganda We honour National Work – Golden Book of honorary members for work.

1967
Colorno, 2 – 7 September, his work is exhibited posthumously at the Painting and Antiques Exhibition – Ducal Palace (Throne Room).

2001
Colorno – Opening of the street named after him in the area known as the Oratory (Oratorio).

2005
Colorno, 30 September – 1 and 2 October, his work is exhibited posthumously at the Artists’ and Craftsmen’s Trade  Exhibition, ‘Artisans at the Palace’ – VIII Edition – Royal Palace of Colorno - ‘Piano Nobile’, ( Main floor).

Sources:  The Mora family’s archive documents.