Les détails archéologiques dans les décorations monumentales des bâtiments publics siciliens du XXe siècle : une recherche d’identité

The intervention presented a premise aimed at reconstructing the Greek and Roman past of Sicily, the importance of the archaeological heritage rediscovered during the years of the Grand Tour and the archaeological excavation campaigns between the 18th and early 20th centuries. Subsequently, the presence of «archaeological» details or at least attributable to Greek and Roman classical art and architecture in the monumental decorations of Sicilian public buildings of the 20th century was analyzed, focusing on the period of the fascist regime. Fascist ideology, inspiration from the Roman past for the constitution of the «Third Rome» and references to it in periodicals and Italian architectural and artistic achievements were evoked. In the specific Sicilian context, some cases have been illustrated in which the decorative e details referring to this past are evident: use of the Doric order, leonine eaves, representations of the Sicilian Greek temples, decorations reminiscent of Greek vascular painting etc. Among the cases included the Palaces of Justice in Messina and Catania, the Banco di Sicilia (a major local bank) in Palermo or the Maritime Station in Messina.