Rinascite e rinnovamenti: esempi altomedievali di riuso del classico nella penisola italiana

The idea of ‘rebirth’ presupposes the notion of an original ‘golden age’ and a subsequent decline, an element of Mediterranean culture that goes back to Hesiod. It was to have a centuries-long impact on the world view of ancient Greece, as is shown by the palingenetic theories of Stoic philosophers during the Hellenistic Age. In his analysis of Neo-Attic art, Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) refers to revixit ars (the revival of art), mentioning how art had returned to the clarity of classicism after centuries of Hellenistic sentimentalism. From this moment onwards, the notion of rebirth permeated classical and post-classical culture in the wake of the ancient ‘nostalgia’ for a lost ‘golden age’, a typical feature of phases of anxiety when positive ideas associated with the past are projected onto what is perceived as negative about the present. Starting from these historical, philosophical and psychological premises, the article focuses on ‘Early Medieval renaissances’, with examples from material culture of the period. Arguably the most significant antecedent (‘antecedent’ from our perspective, since it did not emerge ex nihilo) is the Valdinievole plaque, an embossed plate celebrating the triumph of Agilulf (591-616), probably the frontal part of a parade helmet. In terms of its expressiveness and linear tension, the plaque appears to be a typical product of ‘barbarian’ jewellery.