Creating a memory of a saint: Francis of assisi in italian monumental propaganda of the 19th-21st centuries

Abstract

© Griger et al. Purpose: This article explores the mechanisms of constructing cultural memory in Italy in the 19th – 21st centuries on the example of the history of the erection of monuments dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. They are interested only in the monuments placed in urban areas. This way they analyze “appropriation” of St. Francis by secular society. It is explained why this medieval saint became the hero of the national cultural pantheon of united Italy and in 1939 the holy Patron of Fascist Italy. Methodology: We studded the monuments putting them in historical and cultural context, searching for information about customers, funds, sculptors, placement, and meaning Result: There studded following questions: who was the customer of the monument, what was the main purpose of the customer(s), the historical and cultural context of monuments erection, the choice of the space for the monument, the composition of the monument, and others. Based on it step-by-step it is reconstructed the evolution of St. Francis’s monumental commemoration on the wide field of general changes in the cultural requests of Italian society and the state. The authors show the cultural aspects of commemorating. Applications: This research can be used for universities, teachers, and students. Novelty/Originality: In this research, the model of Creating a memory of a saint: Francis of Assisi in Italian Monumental Propaganda of the 19th-21st centuries is presented in a comprehensive and complete manner.