Michele Caltagirone (1854-1928) also known as il Quarantino[1] was a Sicilian sculptor who spent most of his life in Casteltermini, Sicily, Italy. He is known for producing ecclesiastical works for various churches throughout Sicily using stone, wood, and clay.[2]

Michele Caltagirone
Born(1854-09-02)2 September 1854
DiedJanuary 1, 1928(1928-01-01) (aged 73)
Casteltermini, Sicily, Italy

Early life

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Caltagirone was born on 2 September 1854 to Girolamo Caltagirone and Maria Angela Lo Bue in Casteltermini, a commune in the province of Agrigento, Sicily, southern Italy. Although Sicilian feudalism was formally abolished during the Napoleonic Wars, much of the peasant class was excluded from rising in social status.[3] Consequently, Caltagirone was expected to become a shoemaker, the profession of his father. As a young apprentice, he spent time away from his father's workshop to model and shape clay.

Career

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By the time Caltagirone was 25 years old, he had quit his occupation as a shoemaker to become a full time sculptor. He studied in Palermo for about two years to learn the techniques of sculpting wood before returning to Casteltermini to open a workshop. He was commissioned by monasteries, congregations, parish priests, and private citizens to create works that primarily focused on sacred images.[4]

Michele Caltagirone remained an isolated person for most of his life. Having never married or had children, he died on 1 January 1928 in Casteltermini after becoming ill several months prior.[5][6]

Works

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Jesus Christ Carrying the Cross, c. 1893.
 
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

In Sicily and the United States:[7]

In Casteltermini:

  • Nazareno, Chiesa Madre, 1893.
  • wooden statue of John the Evangelist, Chiesa Madre, c. 1894.
  • Sacra Familia, Chiesa Madre, c. 1919.
  • wooden statue of Madonna, Chiesa Madre, c. 1908.
  • wooden statue of Anthony of Padua, Chiesa Madre, c. 1910.
  • Wooden statue of Saint Rosalia, Chiesa Madre, 1911.
  • The Cenacle in colored terracotta (c. 30 cm), Chiesa Madre, c. 1906.
  • Nativity scene in colored terracotta (c. 30 cm), Chiesa Madre. Few figurines remain intact.
  • Francis of Assisi comforted by an angel in colored terracotta (c. 30 cm), Chiesa Madre. Has been relocated to a school in Casteltermini.
  • Paul of Thebes in colored terracotta (c. 30 cm), Chiesa Madre. Has been relocated to a school in Casteltermini.
  • Wooden statue of Francis of Assisi, Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi, c. 1890.
  • Wooden statue of Madonna, Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi, c. 1898.
  • Wooden statue of Saint John with child, Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi, c. 1896.
  • Ecce Homo (c. 120 cm), Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi, c. 1901.
  • La Maddalena, Chiesa di Gesù e Maria, c. 1910.
  • Wooden crucifix (c. 140 cm), Chiesa del Carmine.
  • Cristo Deposto, Chiesa di Santa Croce, c. 1906.
  • Moses in stucco, Chiesa Madonna delle Grazie.
  • Isaiah in stucco, Chiesa Madonna delle Grazie.
  • Francis of Assisi among angels and friars in colored terracotta (c. 30 cm), Chiesa Madonna delle Grazie.[9]
  • Adoration of the Magi in colored terracotta (c. 30 cm), Chiesa Madonna delle Grazie. Some statues are missing.
  • Wooden crucifix, c. 1922. Commissioned by the Chiesa di Malvello, but is currently located elsewhere.
  • Wooden statue of John the Evangelist. Commissioned by the Chiesa di Malvello, but is currently located elsewhere.

References

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  1. ^ Gulli, Domenica. Casteltermini Dal Territorio al Museo. Kalòs, n. 3, July/September 2010, pp. 40-43.
  2. ^ Calderone, Roberto. Michele Caltagirone (Quarantino) : una vita per l'arte. 1970.
  3. ^ Sardell, Jason. Economic Origins of the Mafia and Patronage System in Sicily. 2009. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, undergraduate dissertation.
  4. ^ Calderone 42-43.
  5. ^ Calderone, 25-26.
  6. ^ "Storia Del Comune." Comune Di Casteltermini, 2022.
  7. ^ Calderone, 41-46.
  8. ^ Italy. Comune di Acquaviva Platani, Caltanissetta, Sicilia. Piano d'Azione per l'Energia Sostenibile. Patto dei Sindaci, January 2015.
  9. ^ Le Chiese, Comune di Casteltermini. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
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