Vincenzo Manno's dome decoration of the metropolitan cathedral in Mdina

Abstract

The Purpose of this thesis is to study the vault decoration of the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Paul in Mdina with a special focus on the fresco paintings by the Sicilian brothers Vincenzo, Antonio and Francesco Manno executed between 1790 and 1794. It aims, for the first time, at a comprehensive study of the artistic abilities of the brothers, placing them in the late eighteenth century international scenario. This work will attempt an art historical research on this iconographical interpretation of the life of St. Paul. It will study and research archival sources to try and identify the Manna's patronage in Malta. It will delve into the thought behind both the commission and execution of the work; the Cathedral Chapter's rapport with the artists and how, in fact, this came to develop. The study will go beyond the art history to elucidate the technique applied by the artists and hence contextualise the said technique - in the light of the various restoration attempts on the Cathedral's vault. A thorough review of any possible available documentation of the initial project's conception and the realization will be a highly relevant part of this thesis. The research will focus on Maltese documents mainly those from the Chapter's minutes, payments made to the brothers, and if possible notary archives. It will be relevant to seek the brother's, individual and collaborative works abroad such as in Sicily where potentially analogous works include: Santo Stefano Quisquina (1780) and S Lorenzo in Trapani (1800), the former preceding and the latter following the Mdina cathedral vault, and in Rome. The brother's works in Palermo are well studied and therefore together with this research will allow a better stylistic and perhaps even technical appraisal of the Manna's Mdina endeavour. Such research will also attempt an identification of each brother's singular contribution in the Mdina vault plural effort. This work will also use scientific analyses currently being undertaken as part of the contemporary restoration and conservation project on the Mdina vault being carried out by ReCoop. This data will elucidate the raw material of the applied fresco technique and will enable comparison with restoration projects of other Manno work.