The Santissima Annunziata of Florence, Medici Portraits, and the Counter Reformation in Italy

A defining feature of the Counter-Reformation period is the new impetus given to the material expression of devotion to sacred images and relics. There are nonetheless few scholarly studies that look deeply into the shrines of venerated images, as they were renovated or decorated anew during this period. This dissertation investigates an image cult that experienced a particularly rich elaboration during the Counter-Reformation – that of the miracle-working fresco called the Nunziata, located in the Servite church of the Santissima Annunziata in Florence. By the end of the fifteenth century, the Nunziata had become the primary sacred image in the city of Florence and one of the most venerated Marian cults in Italy. My investigation spans around 1580 to 1650, and includes texts related to the sacred fresco, copies made after it, votives, and other additions made within and around its shrine. I address various components of the cult that carry meanings of civic importance; nonetheless, one of its crucial characteristics is that it partook of general agendas belonging to the Counter-Reformation movement. That is, it would be myopic to remain within a strictly local scope when considering this period. The evidence nonetheless also demands more than a simple broadening of “context”. This thesis shows that key aspects of the material articulation of the Nunziata’s cult were deeply integrated with actions and attitudes emanating from the Church’s policy centres, in particular, Rome and Milan. At the same time, the sanctuary was a chief site for the expression of the power and privilege of the Medici, who were the ruling family of Florence and most prominent patrons of the fresco’s cult. My study therefore accounts for the intertwining of two strains of representation --the Medici as ideal Counter-Reformation princes and the Santissima Annunziata as a powerful miracle-working image.Ph.D.2017-11-30 00:00:0