The Virgin Hodegetria Iconography in the Crown of Aragon in the Early Modern Period: Canons, Allotropies and Variants

SALIS, MAURO

2017-01-01

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Abstract

This paper aims to present iconographic modifications of the Virgin Hodegetria depictions in the Crown of Aragon (a composite monarchy extended from Southern Italy to Iberian Peninsula) in the early modern period (16th-18th century). The time span ranging from the mid-15th to the early decades of the 16th century is the crucial period in which there is the wide-range spread of the Hodegetria cult between East and West, and during which occurs an iconographic and worship transfer that produces allotropies and variants. It is only after the fall of Constantinople that in the Italian Peninsula and in Sicily appeared, along with the Holy Icon replicas, new ways of representing the Hodegetria: the depiction which set as a standard is the one with two old men (Calogeri) carrying on their shoulders the chest with the Hodegetria, sometimes as an Icon, sometimes as a real body. Because of her specialization as protector against the enemy the Virgin Hodegetria was invoked by all professionals related to the sea and so, during the 16th century, occurred two transfer phenomena: her identification with Our Lady of Good Way; her specialization as deliverer from the Barbary slavery. It is through these new operational functions that the cult spread beyond the traditional «Byzantine» Southern Italy regions, such as Liguria, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands and the Iberian Peninsula. These new functions entailed new iconographic standards depending on the geographical location and the action of Mendicant Orders (Augustinians, Franciscans, Mercedarians) and confraternities.