Between sacred and profane: religious art in sicily in the diary of a spanish traveller of the eighteenth century

Abstract

The diary of Antonio Desbrull y Boíl De Arenos's trip to Sicily offers the possibility to observe directly the perception of the sacred art of the author, characterized by an enlightened cultural profile, but far from the neoclassical taste that is the fundamental trait common to many of the contemporary travelers. Desbrull's testimony also allows us to examine some of the main religious buildings on the island, the works contained therein and the architectural decoration, an expression of a baroque taste that strikes and fascinates the author. Sacred art is considered here as a mere aesthetic phenomenon, devoid of the spiritual dimension that lies at the basis of both the commissioning of the works and their realization.