Prominent among the treasures of the town of Bosa are the works of Emilio Scherer at the Workers’ Society established in 1867 for which the artist made two large canvases in 1897: The Allegory of United Italy and Portrait of Victor Emmanuel II with the Queen. Emilio Scherer was born in Parma in 1845 and died in Bosa in 1924. After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts, he spent a period of training in Naples. He arrived in Sardinia between 1873 and 1875 and was commissioned in Cuglieri to make paintings for the Basilica. In 1876 he painted the tempera murals, commissioned by Bishop Eugenio Cano, of the church of S. Croce and the Cathedral of Bosa in which the most notable part is the decoration of the basin of the apse basin, in which the classic view of Bosa with the patron saints Emilio and Priamo is depicted. Between 1789 and 1887, he stayed in Tunis for long periods, and upon his return to Bosa he was entrusted with various works for the Basilica of Cuglieri, the church of Tresnuraghes, the church of Bosa Marina, the church of Sant’Antonio Abate, and completed the decorations of Bosa Cathedral. As a result of his stay in Africa and his work, the artist began to be highly regarded by the Bosanian population, who entrusted him with the decoration of several buildings in the historic center, such as the Sechi Palace in 1904. The subject matter is often Bosa itself, with its picturesque views and monuments, but also various cities in Italy and Europe and historical figures such as Garibaldi and Mazzini. In later life he also began a career as a portrait painter for numerous Bosnian notables. Also kept at the Workers’ Society are four tempera paintings on cardboard depicting winged cherubs holding symbols of work, justice, peace and education.
