528 claudio povolo
in the sanctuary of the Madonna of Montecastello in tignale. the artist
ably satisfied the demands of the clients commissioning the work, while
also skillfully rendering on a symbolic level the sensibility that imbued the
new conception of order and social peace that was spreading throughout
europe at this time.39 the power and energy of the forces who inexora-
bly surround the tiny but dangerous group of bandits seem to flow from
the order and symmetry with which the attackers are depicted, as well
as from the hierarchical arrangement that drives them and keeps them
united in a military order (under their leaders and deputy leaders). then
as now, observers cannot help but admire the efficacy and power of their
concentric attack. this was the more or less explicit message that the men
commissioning the painting (the notables of the community) meant to
transmit visually. the bandit should be considered a true outlaw who had
nothing to offer when faced with society’s desire for peace and order over
and against the violent demands of honor on behalf of kin. but the furious
and bloody combat, the headlong flight toward the valley floor, the bod-
ies pitilessly brought down by bullets, all under the merciful gaze of the
Virgin of Montecastello, were also understood by observers as the peren-
nial tragedy of a lone man—Zanzanù—engaged in a struggle against an
overwhelmingly powerful force in which he was destined to fail. the ban-
dit slain by the sovereign forces was also the man who courageously chal-
lenged social injustices and the power of those who enjoyed undeserved
privilege. the painting still transmits this perception today, inspiring
conflicting emotions in wondering and admiring observers.
the armed conflict of 17 august 1617 marked the end of the long and
adventurous life of Zanzanù, who had been banished for heeding the hard
call of honor that 12 years earlier had driven him to revenge his father’s
death. he spent his life fighting his many enemies and evading the relent-
less pursuit of bounty hunters who for years chased him in vain along
the lakeshore and through the mountains. his life was one of ostracism
imposed by the merciless Venetian institutions, which tenaciously sought
to redefine his social identity and inexorably confine him to the sphere of
the most abject criminality. but the authorities’ unrelenting hostility also
inspired an inevitable, contradictory admiration and sympathy for him
on the part of a considerable segment of the population, who understood
the vicissitudes and motivations that had impelled Zanzanù to follow the
arduous path of vengeance to its final destination.
39 claudio Povolo, Zanzanù. Il bandito del lago (1576–1617) (trento, 2011), pp. 27–38.