I Dipinti Di Sebastiano Conca Nella Chiesa Di San Michele Alla Ferrovia Ad Aversa

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I dipinti di Sebastiano Conca nella chiesa di San Michele alla Ferrovia ad Aversa Tra i numerosi artisti che con le loro opere contribuirono nel corso del XVIII secolo ad abbellire alcune delle più importanti chiese di Aversa, una citazione a parte merita Sebastiano Conca, che pur presente non certamente con il meglio della sua vasta produzione, emerge comunque per un consistente e qualificato numero di dipinti. Nato a Gaeta nel 1680, il Conca fu dapprima allievo del Solimena a Napoli, poi si stabilì a Roma, dove svolse la maggior parte della sua intensa attività - anche come teorico - fino al 1750; dopo una parentesi a Torino al servizio della corte sabauda, dal 1721 al 1750. Nel periodo romano l’artista a contatto col Maratta e col Chiari, riuscì a elaborare un linguaggio colto e raffinato ben presto apprezzato dai cultori dello stile» classicheggiante. e che sortì il massimo raggiungimento nell’Incoronazione di santa Cecilia del soffitto della chiesa eponima in Trastevere. Tornato a Napoli nel 1751, si accostò ai modi del barocco napoletano, ispirandosi particolarmente a Luca Giordano. Morì nella città partenopea l’1 settembre del 1764. Il primo e più cospicuo gruppo di opere prodotte dal Conca per Aversa è quello proveniente dalla chiesa dello Spirito Santo, chiusa al culto nell’immediato dopoguerra, e che, formato da cinque dipinti, è andato a costituire il corredo pittorico della moderna chiesa di San Michele alla Ferrovia. Dei cinque, l’unico dipinto firmato e datato è quello posto sull’altare maggiore, raffigurante la Discesa dello Spirito Santo eseguito a Roma nel 1750 - come recita la didascalia in calce alla tela - e successivamente spedito ad Aversa, con gli altri quattro dipinti, che, posti sulle pareti della navata centrale, rappresentano San Francesco che riceve le stimmate, Santa Chiara e le clarisse, Santa Margherita da Cortona che adora il Crocefisso e l’Immacolata Concezione. Meno consistente numericamente, perché depauperato nel tempo dai furti e dall’incuria, è il secondo gruppo di dipinti, realizzato per la chiesa di San Lorenzo, anch’esso parte di quella larga produzione del pittore gaetano a carattere devozionale legata alla committenza degli ordini religiosi: in questo caso, i benedettini di Montecassino. Delle numerose tele repertiate e tutte correttamente assegnate al Conca dal Parente, che lo giudica peraltro «un mediocre settecentista», restano, purtroppo, i soli teloni della Natività, della Pentecoste, del San Mauro che guarisce gli storpi e la tela con i Santi Benedetto e Chiara; opere tutte della maturità dell’artista realizzate dopo le tele per la cappella Palatina della reggia di Caserta. Non conservano, però, come queste - andate distrutte durante i bombardamenti della II Guerra mondiale e note solo per riproduzioni fotografiche - quella freschezza e scioltezza che caratterizza la fase ultima della sua produzione, imperniata sull’uso di una gamma cromatica assai prossima, negli esiti, alla pittura di Corrado Giaquinto. Franco Pezzella Aversa, Chiesa di S. Michele alla Ferrovia, S. Conca, Discesa dello Spirito Santo. .

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