Federico II nel Vulture: la chiesa rupestre di Santa Margherita a Melfi

The analysis of the frescoes in the church of St. Margherita in Melfi highlights the numerous cultural influences that characterize rock painting in the Vulture area. In fact, influences coexist on a mainly Byzantine substratum ranging from Catalan art of the Angevin period to the Swabian one, passing through the local one and the southern and transalpine miniatures. The presence of all these components highlights the richness of the historical and cultural context in which the church stands. In particular, the scene depicting the Meeting between the Living and the Dead shows the relationship between Frederick II of Swabia and Vulture, and it’s also a starting point for hypothesizing an iconological reading of the entire cycle of frescoes.