This article illustrates the relevance, for the Benedictine iconography of the 13th century, of the sculpture depicting Saint Benedict of Norcia handing over the book of the Rule to Saint Maurus, who is about to leave for Gaul (France), from where he will guarantee the spread of European monasticism. The sculpture was created by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano for the Fontana Maggiore in Perugia (1278). The fountain and its plastic decoration were designed to symbolize the identity and pride of Perugia, representing the civic self-awareness of a flourishing present and a thousand-year-old past. To define this iconographic program, the essay develops a reflection on some Franciscan theologians who may have advised the municipality of Perugia and the artists, in particular, Filippo da Perugia (provincial minister of Tuscany, 1280-1282; bishop of Fiesole, 1282-1297).
Audi Frater Maure. Postilla per la Fontana maggiore di Perugia
Fabio Marcelli
2022
Abstract
This article illustrates the relevance, for the Benedictine iconography of the 13th century, of the sculpture depicting Saint Benedict of Norcia handing over the book of the Rule to Saint Maurus, who is about to leave for Gaul (France), from where he will guarantee the spread of European monasticism. The sculpture was created by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano for the Fontana Maggiore in Perugia (1278). The fountain and its plastic decoration were designed to symbolize the identity and pride of Perugia, representing the civic self-awareness of a flourishing present and a thousand-year-old past. To define this iconographic program, the essay develops a reflection on some Franciscan theologians who may have advised the municipality of Perugia and the artists, in particular, Filippo da Perugia (provincial minister of Tuscany, 1280-1282; bishop of Fiesole, 1282-1297).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
