Matera barocca

by Eleonora Carmela Bianco

The book is an illustrated itinerary that offers readers the pleasure of exploring the city’s 17th- and 18th-century treasures. Those who have gotten to know Basilicata through the literary evocations of Horace and Carlo Levi, and those who—as tourists and scholars—have viewed Matera solely as the city of the famous Sassi can thus discover delightful and surprising aspects. Matera was an important Baroque city that enjoyed the same extraordinary artistic season as the Kingdom of Naples. The book, the outcome of meticulous research conducted by Eleonora Carmela Bianco, paints a different picture the city, which goes hand in hand with the recent rediscovery of the Baroque in the region. As Elisa Acanfora explains in the introduction, “During the preparation for ‘Splendori del barocco defilato. Arte in Basilicata e ai suoi confini da Luca Giordano al Settecento’, I encouraged this highly unusual research that serves as a fundamental corollary to this exhibition”. One of the book’s key merits is that it offers a broad overview of various undertakings, building yards, workers and patrons, clarifying timelines and changing tastes, as well as fundamental aspects regarding the circulation of artists in southern Italy. The volume features a chronological summary, a documentary appendix and an updated bibliography.