In this article, naval graffiti on the exterior and in the interior of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Monte Sant’Angelo will be examined for the first time. This graffiti, which has not been systematically studied to this day, could play an important role in the dating of the complex since it is possible to date naval units to a specific century. In fact, the ships that appear in the first three rows of bricks on the external wall can be dated to the 12th century, when the facade of the church must have been roughly similar to the one that we still see today. Although the meaning of the graffiti is not known, the argument advanced here is that they were left as ex votos by sailors and pilgrims who, from the nearby port of Siponto (then named Manfredonia), climbed Monte Sant’Angelo to visit the basilica of San Michele Arcangelo and then, perhaps, continued on to the Holy Land. The intent of this article is to initiate a complex line of research, one that aims to create an extensive collection of the hundreds of examples of naval graffiti that exist throughout the Gargano.
In questo lavoro per la prima volta vengono analizzati i graffiti navali presenti sia all’interno che all’esterno della chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore a Monte Sant’Angelo. Questi graffiti, ad oggi non ancora studiati, potrebbero avere un ruolo fondamentale nella datazione del complesso vista la possibilità di poter datare le unità navali ad un determinato secolo. Infatti le navi presenti sul muro esterno, nelle prime tre file di mattoni, sono databili al XII secolo, quando ormai la facciata della chiesa doveva essere grossomodo simile a quella che vediamo ancora oggi. L’ipotesi è che si tratti di ex voto lasciati da marinai e pellegrini che dal porto della vicina Siponto (poi Manfredonia) salivano a Monte Sant’Angelo per visitare la basilica di San Michele Arcangelo e poi forse far rotta per la Terrasanta. Questo articolo vuole essere un inizio di un lavoro complesso, volto a creare un corpus delle centinaia di graffiti navali presenti su tutto il territorio garganico.
Domenico Luciano Moretti (2018). I graffiti navali nella chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore a Monte Sant’Angelo. San Severo : Archeoclub San Severo.
I graffiti navali nella chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore a Monte Sant’Angelo
Domenico Luciano Moretti
Primo
2018
Abstract
In this article, naval graffiti on the exterior and in the interior of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Monte Sant’Angelo will be examined for the first time. This graffiti, which has not been systematically studied to this day, could play an important role in the dating of the complex since it is possible to date naval units to a specific century. In fact, the ships that appear in the first three rows of bricks on the external wall can be dated to the 12th century, when the facade of the church must have been roughly similar to the one that we still see today. Although the meaning of the graffiti is not known, the argument advanced here is that they were left as ex votos by sailors and pilgrims who, from the nearby port of Siponto (then named Manfredonia), climbed Monte Sant’Angelo to visit the basilica of San Michele Arcangelo and then, perhaps, continued on to the Holy Land. The intent of this article is to initiate a complex line of research, one that aims to create an extensive collection of the hundreds of examples of naval graffiti that exist throughout the Gargano.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
