Una galassia seminata di stelle. Il festino di Santa Rosalia in una cronaca del 1693. Apparati effimeri e arti decorative

Ripercorrendo le annotazioni del padre gesuita Ignazio de Vio sul Festino di Santa Rosalia del 1693 ci si sofferma sulle numerose personalità artistiche e sulle maestranze palermitane impegnate in quell'occasione ad abbellire il Cassaro con le loro creazioni, dagli argenti ai pregiati drappi, agli ori, alle gemme, agli stucchi, agli apparati effimeri.Going over the notes of the Jesuit Father Ignazio de Vio on the Festino di Santa Rosalia in 1693, one can linger over the numerous artistic personalities and workers from Palermo who were engaged on that occasion in embellishing the Cassaro with their creations, from silverware to precious drapes, gold, gems, stuccoes and ephemeral devices

Girolamo I Colonna e l’arredo d’altare in corallo della Madonna del Buon Consiglio di Genazzano

Si delinea brevemente la figura di Girolamo I Colonna, di Filippo I, principe di Paliano, e Anna Tomacelli. Il cardinale romano, uno dei primi raffinati collezionisti di casa Colonna, che predilesse la pittura di importanti maestri bolognesi e dei loro allievi, nel 1639-1640 si rivolgeva ad abili maestri del barocco siciliano per la realizzazione di un prezioso arredo d’altare in rame e corallo composto da sei candelieri e da una croce. L’inedita corrispondenza tra Girolamo I e il fratello Marcantonio V, punto di riferimento in Sicilia in quel periodo per i Colonna per aver sposato la ricca ereditiera siciliana Isabella Gioeni, e tramite per la realizzazione dei manufatti, riporta interessanti notazioni sulla loro esecuzione. Le importanti opere prodotte da corallari trapanesi attivi a Palermo, destinate per volontà testamentaria dell’illustre prelato al Santuario della Madonna del Buon Consiglio di Genazzano, vengono messe a confronto con la produzione siciliana coeva riportando inedite testimonianze dell’arte del corallo in Sicilia.The figures of Girolamo I Colonna, Filippo I, Prince of Paliano, and Anna Tomacelli are briefly outlined. The Roman cardinal, one of the first refined collectors of the Colonna house, who preferred the painting of important Bolognese masters and their students, in 1639-1640 approached to skilled masters of Sicilian Baroque for the creation of a precious altar furniture in copper and coral composed of six candlesticks and a cross. The unpublished correspondence between Girolamo I and his brother Marcantonio V, a point of reference in Sicily at that time for the Colonna family for having married the rich Sicilian heiress Isabella Gioeni, and intermediary for the creation of the artefacts, contains interesting notes on their execution. The important works produced by Trapani coral workers working in Palermo, destined by the will of the illustrious prelate to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano, are compared with the contemporary Sicilian production, reporting unpublished evidence of the art of coral in Sicily

Presentazione

Si presenta il volume di Calogero Ridulfo mettendo maggiormente in evidenza le notizie che arricchiscono la conoscenza del patrimonio artistico dell'ultimo scorcio del Medioevo a Corleone quando vi operavano importanti pittori, da Tommaso De Vigilia a Pietro Ruzzolone, affiancati da altri abili artisti ora sottratti dall'oblioThe volume by Calogero Ridulfo is presented, highlighting the news that enriches the knowledge of the artistic heritage of the last part of the Middle Ages in Corleone when important painters worked there, from Tommaso De Vigilia to Pietro Ruzzolone, alongside other skilled artists now stolen from oblivio

Beni mobili. Patrimonio artistico e committenti in Sicilia dalle fonti d'archivio tra XVI e XIX secolo

Attraverso l'analisi di varie fonti archivistiche edite ed inedite, si pone l'attenzione sul ricco e variegato patrimonio di opere d'arte in Sicilia e sulle figure di committenti e collezionisti siciliani o in vario modo legati all'Isola. Emergono note figure di sovrani, viceré, cardinali, vescovi e meno conosciute personalità che oltre a segnare la storia della Sicilia ne hanno condizionato il suo sviluppo culturale e artisticoThrough the analysis of various archival sources published and unpublished, the focus is on the rich and varied heritage of works of art in Sicily and on the figures of Sicilian clients and collectors or in various ways related to the island. There are well-known figures of sovereigns, viceroys, cardinals, bishops and lesser-known personalities who, in addition to marking the history of Sicily, have influenced its cultural and artistic development

“Iugalia aurea et argentea et bona mobilia”. Postille documentarie sui Ventimiglia di Gratteri

Numerosi inventari, atti dotali, testamenti e donazioni rintracciati presso l’Archivio di Stato di Palermo permettono di ricostruire la ricchezza e la varietà del patrimonio artistico della famiglia Ventimiglia del ramo di Gratteri.Numerous inventories, doctrinal deeds, wills and donations found at the State Archives of Palermo make it possible to reconstruct the wealth and variety of the artistic heritage of the Ventimiglia family of the Gratteri branch

Racalmuto : il paese di Leonardo Sciascia. Storia e arte

Gli scritti di Leonardo Sciascia (1921-1989) ci accompagnano ancora oggi alla scoperta della storia e dell'arte di Racalmuto, suo paese natale, ripercorrendone i luoghi più emblematici e le più significative opere d'arte, come le numerose tele dipinte dal pittore Pietro D'Asaro, Il "Monocolo di Racalmuto. Nel romanzo La Sicilia come metafora (1979) lo scrittore dichiarava apertamente questo profondo legame annotando: "Tutti amiamo il luogo in cui siamo nati, e siamo portati ad esaltarlo".Els escrits de Leonardo Sciascia (1921-1989) ens acompanyen encara avui en el descobriment de la història i l'art de Racalmuto, el seu lloc de naixement, tot resseguint els llocs més emblemàtics i les obres d'art més significatives, com els nombrosos llenços pintats pel pintor Pietro D'Asaro, El "Monocle de Racalmuto. A la novel·la La Sicília com a metàfora (1979), l'escriptor va declarar obertament aquest vincle profund assenyalant: "Tots estimem el lloc on hem nascut, i estem inclinats a exaltar-lo".The writings of Leonardo Sciascia (1921-1989) still accompany us in our discovery of the history and art of Racalmuto, his hometown, tracing its most emblematic places and most significant works of art, such as the numerous canvases painted by Pietro D'Asaro, "Il Monocolo di Racalmuto". In his novel La Sicilia come metafora (1979), the writer openly declared this deep connection noting: "We all love the place where we were born, and we are led to exalt it."Los escritos de Leonardo Sciascia (1921-1989) nos acompañan todavía hoy en el descubrimiento de la historia y el arte de Racalmuto, su ciudad natal, recorriendo sus lugares más emblemáticos y las obras de arte más significativas, como los numerosos lienzos pintados por el pintor, Pietro D'Asaro, el "Monóculo de Racalmuto". En la novela Sicilia como metáfora (1979) el escritor declara abiertamente este vínculo profundo señalando: "Todos amamos el lugar donde nacimos y nos inclinamos a exaltarlo"

I Tesori delle Chiese di Gratteri

Si analizzano le suppellettili liturgiche e i parati sacri ancora custoditi nelle chiese di Gratteri mettendoli a confronto con la produzione siciliana coevaThe liturgical furnishings and sacred equipments still preserved in the churches of Gratteri are analyzed, comparing them with the coeval Sicilian productio

Phytoplankton blooms during austral summer in the Ross Sea, Antarctica: Driving factors and trophic implications

During the austral summer of 2014, an oceanographic cruise was conducted in the Ross Sea in the framework of the RoME (Ross Sea Mesoscale Experiment) Project. Forty-three hydrological stations were sampled within three different areas: the northern Ross Sea (RoME 1), Terra Nova Bay (RoME 2), and the southern Ross Sea (RoME 3). The ecological and photophysiological characteristics of the phytoplankton were investigated (i.e., size structure, functional groups, PSII maximum quantum efficiency, photoprotective pigments), as related to hydrographic and chemical features. The aim was to identify the mechanisms that modulate phytoplankton blooms, and consequently, the fate of organic materials produced by the blooms. The observed biomass standing stocks were very high (e.g., integrated chlorophyll-a up to 371 mg m-2 in the top 100 m). Large differences in phytoplankton community composition, relative contribution of functional groups and photosynthetic parameters were observed among the three subsystems. The diatoms (in different physiological status) were the dominant taxa in RoME 1 and RoME 3; in RoME 1, a post-bloom phase was identified, whereas in RoME 3, an active phytoplankton bloom occurred. In RoME 2, diatoms co-occurred with Phaeocystis antarctica, but were vertically segregated by the upper mixed layer, with senescent diatoms dominating in the upper layer, and P. antarctica blooming in the deeper layer. The dominance of the phytoplankton micro-fraction over the whole area and the high Chl-a suggested the prevalence of non-grazed large cells, independent of the distribution of the two functional groups. These data emphasise the occurrence of significant temporal changes in the phytoplankton biomass in the Ross Sea during austral summer. The mechanisms that drive such changes and the fate of the carbon production are probably related to the variations in the limiting factors induced by the concurrent hydrological modifications to the Ross Sea, and they remain to be fully clarified. The comparison of conditions observed during summer 2014 and those reported for previous years reveal considerably different ecological assets that might be the result of current climate change. This suggests that further changes can be expected in the future, even at larger oceanic scales

Nobilis instrumenta: suppellettili liturgiche, ex voto e parati sacri nelle chiese di Petralia Sottana

Temi di questo volume sono l’aulica produzione siciliana di preziosi monili in oro, smalti, corallo e pietre preziose, la superba creatività nel modellare suppellettili liturgiche in argento e l’eccellente tradizione manifatturiera di parati sacri. Al lettore viene svelata un’eccezionale collezione di opere d’arte decorativa di cui si fornisce un’analitica catalogazione. Ciascun manufatto, doviziosamente descritto, è contestualizzato nella pertinente temperie storico culturale di cui è espressione. L’ampia rassegna comprende opere realizzate dal X al XIX se colo e conservate nelle chiese di Petralia Sottana, centro delle alte Madonie. Il forte sentimento devozionale e la sensibilità nel dare splendore al Mistero eucaristico sono tra le motivazioni che hanno sollecitato la generosa committenza di confraternite, compagnie, pii fedeli, nobili, come i Pucci e i Lanza, badesse o prelati, come don Pietro Macaluso I e don Nicola Maria Polizzotti. Grazie alla loro munificenza, spesso eternata da iscrizioni o dedotta da ricerche documentarie, la comunità madonita possiede importanti tesori prodotti dalle più ricercate maestranze non solo regionali, ma anche internazionali. Si offre, dunque, la conoscenza di un patrimonio di grande interesse di cui è auspicabile, attraverso un’adeguata musealizzazione, una valorizzazione permanenteThemes of this volume are the noble Sicilian production of precious gold, enamel, coral and precious stones jewelry, the superb creativity in modeling liturgical furnishings in silver and the excellent manufacturing tradition of sacred vestments. The reader is unveiled an exceptional collection of decorative art works of which an analytical cataloging is provided. Each artifact, richly described, is contextualized in the pertinent historical and cultural climate of which it is an expression. The extensive exhibition includes works created from the tenth to the nineteenth century and preserved in the churches of Petralia Sottana, the center of the high Madonie. The strong devotional sentiment and the sensitivity in giving splendor to the Eucharistic Mystery are among the reasons that prompted the generous commission of brotherhoods, companies, pious faithful, nobles, such as the Pucci and Lanza, abbesses or prelates, such as Don Pietro Macaluso and Don Nicola Maria Polizzotti. Thanks to their munificence, often eternalized by inscriptions or deduced from documentary research, the Madonite community possesses important treasures produced by the most sought-after workers, not only regional but also international. Therefore, the knowledge of a heritage of great interest is offered, a permanent enhancement of which is desirable through an adequate museu

Plankton food-webs: to what extent can they be simplified?

Plankton is a hugely diverse community including both unicellular and multicellular organisms, whose individual dimensions span over seven orders of magnitude. Plankton is a fundamental part of biogeochemical cycles and food-webs in aquatic systems. While knowledge has progressively accumulated at the level of single species and single trophic processes, the overwhelming biological diversity of plankton interactions is insufficiently known and a coherent and unifying trophic framework is virtually lacking. We performed an extensive review of the plankton literature to provide a compilation of data suitable for implementing food-web models including plankton trophic processes at high taxonomic resolution. We identified the components of the plankton community at the Long Term Ecological Research Station MareChiara in the Gulf of Naples. These components represented the sixty-three nodes of a plankton food-web. To each node we attributed biomass and vital rates, i.e. production, consumption, assimilation rates and ratio between autotrophy and heterotrophy in mixotrophic protists. Biomasses and rates values were defined for two opposite system's conditions; relatively eutrophic and oligotrophic states. We finally identified 817 possible trophic links within the web and provided each of them with a relative weight, in order to define a diet-matrix, valid for both trophic states, which included all consumers, fromn anoflagellates to carnivorous plankton. Vital rates for plankton resulted, as expected, very wide; this strongly contrasts with the narrow ranges considered in plankton system models implemented so far. Moreover, the amount and variety of trophic links highlighted by our review is largely excluded by state-of-the-art biogeochemical and food-web models for aquatic systems. Plankton models could potentially benefit from the integration of the trophic diversity outlined in this paper: first, by using more realistic rates; second, by better defining trophic roles of consumers in the planktonic web. We suggest that most trophic habits present in planktonic organisms must be contemplated in new generation plankton models.</p