Cola dell’Amatrice: Rinascimento e terremoto

The 2016 earthquake that devastated central Italy toppled a bronze statue of Renaissance painter-architect Cola dell’Amatrice (Nicola Filotesio, 1480/1489–post 1547) in Amatrice. Erected in 1915 by the town to honor its most famous son, the sculpture by Turillo Sindoni features pseudo-ancient fragments alluding to Cola’s study of classical art. Cola, active mainly in Ascoli and Amatrice, was influenced by Raphael after a 1513 stay in Rome, blending classicism with rustic traits. His works include the facade of Ascoli Cathedral (derived from a triumphal arch) and the stone front of San Bernardino in L’Aquila. In Amatrice, three of his panels survive: two at the Nicola Filotesio cultural circle and the Sacra Famiglia at the Museo Civico, directed by Floriana Svizzeretto (among the earthquake victims). The museum suffered severe damage, but Cola’s painting, in a glass case, may have survived. Frescoes by earlier artists like Dionisio Cappelli were likely destroyed. Giorgio Vasari praised Cola in his Lives, noting his talent would have flourished with more competition, and recounted the legend of Cola’s wife sacrificing herself to save his life.