17th-century sculptural representation of leprosy in Perugia’s Cathedral

Excerpt

The Cathedral of Perugia (Umbria, Central Italy) hosts on the internal wall of its façade the funerary monument to Marcantonio Oddi (Bishop of Perugia from 1659 to 1668, the year of his death) by artist Domenico Guidi da Carrara (1625–1701). The sculpture was originally located in Perugia’s St. Augustine’s Church, where the Bishop’s tomb was made in 1658, and donated to the Cathedral Chapter in 1837 [1, 2]. The monument (Fig. 1) shows the forward-facing clergyman kneeling on a commemorative plaque flanked by two putti, representing Time and Fame. The triangular composition rests on a large marble plinth made of three parts, the central section is advanced with a raised panel representing the episcopal symbols, while the two lateral recessed parts depict identical skulls and femora enshrouded and tied together by drapes. …