The Staging of the Royal Body in the Kingdom of Sicily

Mirko Vagnoni

The Staging of the Royal Body in the Kingdom of Sicily: Frederick III of Aragon and Robert of Anjou

Authors

Mirko Vagnoni

University of Fribourg (CH)

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5752-4743

Keywords:

Medieval History, Royal Body, Starring of Power, Kingdom of Sicily, Robert of Anjou, Frederick III of Aragon

Synopsis

Series: Mediterranean Worlds, 5

Pages: 236

Language: Italian

NBN: http://nbn.depositolegale.it/resolver.pl?nbn=urn:nbn:it:unina-26914

Abstract: This work analyses the royal body of the kings of Sicily focusing on the performative value of its physical and material dimension. Specifically, two case studies are investigated: the narration of Frederick III of Aragon (1296-1337)’s body in the contemporary chronicles and the depiction of Roberto of Anjou (1309-1343)’s body in his portraits. The aim is to verify if these kings, in their daily government activities, made explicitly use of a theatricalized staging of their real or depicted body. In other words, if they adopted in a deliberated, conscious, and studied way specific physical features with the purpose of spreading a message of legitimation and strengthening of the royal authority and in order to stimulate in their subjects the consent toward the Crown.

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Author Biography

Mirko Vagnoni, University of Fribourg (CH)

Mirko Vagnoni studied at the Universities of Siena (2004) and Florence (2008), has been researcher at Universities and Institutes of research in several countries, and has obtained the Italian National Qualification as Associate Professor in Art History (2020). His researches mainly focus on the staging of the power in the Kingdom of Sicily between 12^th and 14^th centuries with a particular attention toward the royal iconography and sacrality and the relationship between politics and religion.