Materiali lapidei e architettura a Palermo nella prima età Moderna

Abstract

This paper traces the history of the use of stone materials in Palermo’s architecture during the early Modern age through a review of archival sources and an analysis of what was built. This topic was not explored in previous studies, but it is necessary to undertake a transversal evaluation of the material choices made over the course of a century and a half in several significant construction sites, both religious and civil, private and institutional, in order to outline the stages of a process involving the use and valuation of imported lithotypes and research and experimentation of local ones. The aim was to elevate the monumental architecture of the city of Palermo to the levels of modern European capitals.