Repertori di finestre nei cori benedettini tra Montecassino, Napoli e Palermo (1558-1589): intaglio ligneo e architettura

Abstract

In the processes of embellishment or reconstruction of the Benedictine churches in southern Italy and in Sicily, during the sixteenth century, great care was put in equipping them with magnificent wooden choirs. This contribution retraces an artistic journey that from the abbey of San Martino delle Scale, near Palermo, passing through the complex of SS. Severino and Sossio in Naples, goes back to the abbey of Montecassino. In fact, the latter is the starting point of the sequence of the three choirs examined, with a specific focus on the architectural themes present in them and in particular the series of windows carved into the backs of the upper stalls. The vicissitudes of the three choirs and the repertoires of windows/aedicules offer the input for some reflections on the relationship between cabinetmakers and architects in the second half of the sixteenth century, which was also influenced by the progressive growth of engraving production.