D'ARIANI Gaspare Arco trionfale fatto in Palermo nell'anno MDXCII per la venuta dell'Ill...Don Henrico Guzman, Conte d'Olivares Vicere di Sicilia.
Palermo, G.A.de Franceschi, 1592 4to: woodcut medallion on title-page. Contemporary vellum, new endpapers. Ownership inscription crossed out on title-page, some browning at the beginning. The arrival of the Viceroy was an occasion for considerable public display in Palermo. The triumphal arch erected on the Strada Colonna is described here in great detail. D'Ariani writes in his introduction that he will concentrate on describing its magnificence and significance until he has enough time to write a description of the entire rejoicings, a project apparently never fulfilled. The arch was built of wood to the design of a Tuscan architect, Giambattista Collepietra who, according to the writer, had taken decorative features from Asia and Africa. The arch's height was about 'braccia novanta' and it was surmounted by the Imperial eagle measuring twelve. The statues, inscriptions and devices are all fully discussed together with their symbolic interpretation. Towards the end the author names the artists and craftsmen involved (il Sezio, Spadafera, Brami, Rosso, Fondoli, Smiriglio, del Mosca, Mastiani, Giaggino) noting their achievements and their contributions to the arch; this gives a useful background to artistic life in Sicily at the time.
£2000
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