What is it about?
The essay explores the reception of Pope Julius II’s statuary deities in his Cortile del Belvedere through the poetic works of two humanists, papal courtier Evangelista Maddaleni de’ Capodiferro and Savonarolan philosopher Gianfrancesco Pico della Mirandola. The construction of the Cortile animated a lively debate on the state and mission of the Catholic Church, as it allowed the pagan idols of antiquity to re-enter the holy grounds of the Vatican. Through the analysis of two divergent poetic receptions of the Belvedere gods, this article will explore the Cortile del Belvedere and Julius II’s Rome, as a space of spiritual dialogue and religious hybridism.
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Why is it important?
The article revives the academic debate on "Renaissance Paganism." It also introduces the poetic works of some less-known humanists of the times that had a significant influence on the culture of the sixteenth century.
Perspectives
The article provides several new resources regarding the Cortile del Belvedere and introduces the concept of religious hybridism in the context of early modern religion in Italy.
Marco Piana
Smith College
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Gods in the Garden: Visions of the Pagan Other in the Rome of Julius ii, Journal of Religion in Europe, May 2020, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/18748929-01203003.
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