Sacro e Natura nell'Arte antica (Sacred and Nature in Ancient Art)

The paper, presented at the conference The Sense of the Sacred in Dante and Gaudí, explores the connection between the natural dimension and sacredness in the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean world, showing how the representation of the divine was inseparable from the symbols and forms of nature. Through the analysis of emblematic works, the study highlights the continuity of a symbolic language linking ancient religions to the spiritual conception of Western art. Originating from reflections developed within the course on the History of Ancient Art at the Academy of Fine Arts of Verona, the paper establishes a dialogue between the roots of classical sacredness, Dante’s imagery, and Gaudí’s organic vision of nature, in whose architecture natural matter once again becomes an epiphany of the divine.