DUCA, Giacomo del
(b. ca. 1520, Cefalù, d. 1604, Cefalù)

Tomb of Elena Savelli

1570
Marble and bronze
San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome

Although some of the work of the Sicilian architect Giacomo del Duca have been done in Sicily, after the death of Michelangelo he was the only one in Rome to confront Michelangelo's problematic and strong creative tension in architecture. This is shown also in the precocious Savelli Chapel in San Giovanni Laterano, openly inspired by Porta Pia. In the tomb of Elena Savelli the artist created his own interpretation of Michelangelo's architectural motifs from the Porta Pia.

The monument to Elena Savelli in San Giovanni in Laterano (moved but in situ) is one of Giacomo's most significant works of the 1570s. In it the legacy of Michelangelo is revealed in the interpenetration of architectural elements. The bronze sculpture, set in marble, includes circular reliefs and the bust of Savelli.