The Mattei family chapel in the church of the Aracoeli in Rome was commissioned by Alessandro Mattei in 1564. Its pictorial decoration, painted by Girolamo Muziano in the 1580s at the behest of Ciriaco Mattei, is considered a source of... more
The Mattei family chapel in the church of the Aracoeli in Rome was commissioned by Alessandro Mattei in 1564. Its pictorial decoration, painted by Girolamo Muziano in the 1580s at the behest of Ciriaco Mattei, is considered a source of inspiration for Caravaggio. The article assesses the chapel's early history in light of unpublished drawings and new documentary evidence, postulating the involvement of Cesare Nebbia.
Resumen: Durante la Edad Media los relatos referidos a personajes de la Antigüedad clásica fueron frecuentes. En la ciudad de Roma surgió durante el siglo VI la leyenda de Aracoeli que relacionaba al emperador Augusto con Cristo... more
Resumen:
Durante la Edad Media los relatos referidos a personajes de la Antigüedad clásica fueron frecuentes. En la ciudad de Roma surgió durante el siglo VI la leyenda de Aracoeli que relacionaba al emperador Augusto con Cristo mediante una visión que se produciría en el Capitolio. Varios siglos después, ya en el siglo XII, encontramos una variante de este relato en los Mirabilia Urbis Romae, aunque el mensaje sería básicamente el mismo. Sin embargo, los acontecimientos que se narran no son completamente originales sino que se basan en obras anteriores, de autores tanto paganos como cristianos. El más importante de ellos sería el biógrafo romano Suetonio, quien en su obra narró ya los pasajes fundamentales de la leyenda de Aracoeli. El objetivo del presente texto es el de presentar qué fragmentos de la biografía del emperador pudieron influir en la creación del relato medieval y cómo estos se adaptaron al mensaje cristiano con el fin de presentar una imagen del superior poder de Jesús frente al gobernante romano.
Abstract:
During Middle Ages the stories referring to people from classical Antiquity were frequent. In the city of Rome the legend of Aracoeli emerged during the sixth century and related the Emperor Augustus with Christ by a vision that would be later on represented in the Capitolium. Several centuries after, already in the twelfth century, we can find a version of this legend in the Mirabilia Urbis Romae, although the message was basically the same. However, the facts that are narrated are not completely original, but they are based on former works from both pagan and Christian authors. The most important was the Roman biographer Suetonious, who already narrated the essential passages of the legend of Aracoeli in his work. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present which passages of the emperor's biography could influence in the creation of the medieval story, as well as how these ones were adapted to the Christian message in order to show an image of the superior power of Jesus against the Roman ruler.
