Osservazioni sulla scultura «lombarda» del XII secolo nel dibattito critico germanofono

In the German-speaking world, art-historical historiography on Romanesque sculpture has often referred to stylistic or iconographic models of presumed “Lombard” origin since the 19th century. This essay summarizes the key points of the critical debate on this topic from then until today. The discussion focuses on important 12th-century monuments, such as Quedlinburg, Königslutter, and the cathedrals of the Upper Rhine, Speyer, Mainz, and Worms, which have received the most critical attention. It also discusses the latest developments in the debate, which links Romanesque buildings in the German-speaking world with examples from Lombardy and Northern Italy. Finally, some methodological insights are proposed, such as considering the contribution of building archaeology (Bauforschung) to the cataloguing of Romanesque sculpture.