Santa Lucia Patrona di Siracusa: il suo simulacro, la sua ‘vara’, il suo tesoro

The treasure of Saint Lucia in Syracuse is not only a collection of works of art of inestimable value, but it testifies a complex interweaving of social, religious and art-historical aspects closely connected to the culture and identity of the whole Sicily. The essay, on the basis of the latest documentary studies and of the data relating to the recent restoration, updates the scientific research on the simulacrum, the vara and the treasure of precious jewels donated ex voto to Saint Lucia, examining the figures of silversmiths and goldsmiths linked to their creation and retracing the events through the inventories and the historical testimonies, with reference to the art-historical context of the time.