L’immagine del turco nella Sicilia del Cinquecento

Abstract

In focusing on art produced in Sicily between 1560 and 1585, this study identifies sculpted representations of the vanquished “Turks”. Antonino Gagini de Palermo’s cona for the Cathedral de San Giorgio in Ragusa is one of the first significant examples of such art. The most eloquent example on the other side of the island can be found on the outer facade of Palermo’s Porta Nuova (or Porta Austriaca). Representations are expressed in dramatic and epic forms that indirectly offer consolation, in accordance with the instructions given by Vitruvius: the ancient provides a means of explaining the tragic events and dramatic circumstances of the present. In some cinquecentesche iconography, the vilified image of the shattered enemy also substituted the representation of sin and heresy. It has yet to be ascertained when the practice of replacing the subject began, grew in popularity and became widespread, becoming, in the process, an official and conventional resource.