Chiesa Di Santa Maria Delle Grazie 1895

Giuseppe Barberis made this drawing of the Chiesa di Santa Maria Delle Grazie, but we don’t know exactly when. Its subject gives us some hints as to its historical and cultural context. This is a church, and churches played an important role in social life in Italy, as well as the political structures of the country, from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century. The number of plaques hanging on the walls of the church is striking. In the Italian social context, this is likely a reflection of the patronage that the church received from wealthy families in the area. They would often donate to the church in exchange for the privilege of having their names and accomplishments memorialized on the walls. This form of conspicuous consumption, while now seemingly antiquated, was then a way of using religion to negotiate social status. As historians, we can look at city records and church documents from that time to better understand the circumstances under which the church was built, the identities of the patrons, and even perhaps the place of Barberis himself in the cultural politics of the region.