Sarcophagus of Giovanni Antonio Orsini del Balzo

Abstract

Giovanni Antonio Orsini del Balzo added the octagonal apse to the church of Santa Caterina in Galatina in 1460. His sarcophagus, however, was not built and placed in the apse until 1562, nearly a century after his death. Its design is based on the sarcophagus of his father, Raimondello Orsini del Balzo, which is located in the Presbytery on the left. Giovanni Antonio's sarcophagus rests on four ornate painted stone pillars, each of which sit on the back of an unpainted stone lion. At the top, two miniature figures of angels pull back the curtains of Giovanni's bed to show him in a final sleep. Like his father, Giovanni is shown in Franciscan robes. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.