Francesco di Giorgio’s Frescoes and the Confraternity of the Madonna delle Nevi in Campagnatico: Art Patronage and Ritual Celebration in Southern Tuscany

This article investigates the patronage of the fresco cycle representing the Legend of Our Lady of the Snows by the Sienese artist Francesco di Giorgio, in Campagnatico (southern Tuscany). Contrary to current scholarship, the mariegola of the confraternity of the Madonna delle Nevi and the cycle itself, dated 1476, provide evidence that the patronage of the chapel pertained to a lay confraternity. The frescoes include the depiction of saints whose relics, later dispersed, were held in the church and formed the basis for local devotional practices. This study re-frames the commission of the chapel within the context of local lay devotion and its relationship with the religious and civic realms, and provides new insights on the role of confraternities as patrons of art in the area.