Baroque wall paintings in the former ciborium of Antico Convento dei Capuccini in Ragusa - a focus on Fra Angelo de Joyeuse

Abstract

This scholarly contribution focuses on the presence of a unique wall painting depicting a distinguished member of the Catholic Franciscan friars Minor Capuchin known in Latin as the Ordo Fratrum Minor Capuchin, who lived in the turbulent times of the early Baroque age when the well recorded Catholic-Protestant religious wars in France were creating physical and psychological havoc in that country. This painting is here interpreted in the context of the life history of Fra Angelo de Joyeuse and of his silent presence in the town of Ragusa in Sicily which offers a Sicilian example of the influence of the Capuchin Order of which he was a member. The researched interpretative information that is provided in this article highlights the importance of adopting a multi-disciplinary approach in teaching and research concerning Baroque art where paintings of the Baroque Age should necessarily be assessed in their contemporary political, religious, architectural and other relevant scenarios.