In 1812, the French archaeologist Aubin-Louis Millin (1759-1818) undertook an extended journey to Italy with the aim of gathering up-to-date information on the country’s most important artistic heritage. Although his project for a catalogue of antiquités italiennes was never completed, the substantial body of archival materials now preserved in the Bibliothèque nationale de France is notable for its numerous drawings of medieval monuments and works of art. It also includes the earliest attempt to compile a systematic, albeit still embryonic, corpus of medieval art and architecture in Apulia, a region Millin visited between late 1812 and early 1813. Yet, although Apulia’s artistic heritage had never been analytically investigated before Millin’s journey, the region was by no means uncharted territory. The most significant traces of its medieval legacy had already attracted the attention of antiquarians, travelers, and historians. From the late sixteenth century onward, monuments such as Castel del Monte, the basilica of S. Nicola in Bari, and the mausoleum of Bohemond in Canosa, together with the numerous icons preserved in churches and monasteries, were not only fundamental components of the social and religious identity of local communities, but also part of a complex “regional” narrative shaped by authors from diverse backgrounds and with markedly different aims. By considering a wide range of written sources — including urban histories, hagiographical texts, travel diaries, pamphlets, and related materials — this contribution analyzes that narrative and offers the first diachronic reconstruction of the reception of medieval art in Apulia from the seventeenth to the early nineteenth century.
Nel 1812, l’archeologo francese Aubin-Louis Millin (1759-1818) intraprese un lungo viaggio in Italia con l’obiettivo di raccogliere informazioni aggiornate sui più importanti esempi del patrimonio artistico del paese. Sebbene il suo progetto di realizzare un catalogo delle antiquités italiennes non sia mai stato portato a compimento, il vasto insieme di materiali d’archivio oggi conservato presso la Bibliothèque nationale de France si distingue per i numerosi disegni di monumenti e opere d’arte medievali. Esso include inoltre il primo tentativo di compilare un corpus sistematico, seppur ancora embrionale, dell’arte e dell’architettura medievali in Puglia, regione che Millin visitò tra la fine del 1812 e l’inizio del 1813. Eppure, benché il patrimonio artistico pugliese non fosse mai stato indagato analiticamente prima del viaggio di Millin, la regione non era affatto un territorio inesplorato. Le tracce più significative della sua eredità medievale avevano infatti già attirato l’attenzione di antiquari, viaggiatori e storici. Dalla fine del XVI secolo in poi, monumenti come Castel del Monte, la basilica di San Nicola a Bari e il mausoleo di Boemondo a Canosa, insieme alle numerose icone conservate in chiese e monasteri, non furono soltanto componenti fondamentali dell’identità sociale e religiosa delle comunità locali, ma anche parte di una complessa narrazione “regionale”, plasmata da autori di diversa formazione e animati da finalità marcatamente differenti. Prendendo in esame un’ampia gamma di fonti scritte (tra cui storie urbane, testi agiografici, diari di viaggio, opuscoli e materiali affini) questo contributo analizza tale narrazione e offre la prima ricostruzione diacronica della ricezione dell’arte medievale in Puglia dal XVII all’inizio del XIX secolo.
Preludio al Voyage pittoresque di Millin: l’arte della Puglia medievale nelle pubblicazioni erudite (secoli XVII-XVIII)
Gasbarri, G.
2018
Abstract
In 1812, the French archaeologist Aubin-Louis Millin (1759-1818) undertook an extended journey to Italy with the aim of gathering up-to-date information on the country’s most important artistic heritage. Although his project for a catalogue of antiquités italiennes was never completed, the substantial body of archival materials now preserved in the Bibliothèque nationale de France is notable for its numerous drawings of medieval monuments and works of art. It also includes the earliest attempt to compile a systematic, albeit still embryonic, corpus of medieval art and architecture in Apulia, a region Millin visited between late 1812 and early 1813. Yet, although Apulia’s artistic heritage had never been analytically investigated before Millin’s journey, the region was by no means uncharted territory. The most significant traces of its medieval legacy had already attracted the attention of antiquarians, travelers, and historians. From the late sixteenth century onward, monuments such as Castel del Monte, the basilica of S. Nicola in Bari, and the mausoleum of Bohemond in Canosa, together with the numerous icons preserved in churches and monasteries, were not only fundamental components of the social and religious identity of local communities, but also part of a complex “regional” narrative shaped by authors from diverse backgrounds and with markedly different aims. By considering a wide range of written sources — including urban histories, hagiographical texts, travel diaries, pamphlets, and related materials — this contribution analyzes that narrative and offers the first diachronic reconstruction of the reception of medieval art in Apulia from the seventeenth to the early nineteenth century.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
