Sculpting Public Presence in Early Modern Genoa: Overdoor Imagery in the Doria Family Neighborhood

abstract:In fifteenth-century Genoa, the illustrious Doria family sought to augment their neighborhood with at least nine soprapporte, a lintel relief type particular to the Ligurian region. Adorned with Genoese and Doria patron saints and framed by the family’s coats of arms, these overdoor sculptures acted as both protective devices and also as promotional place markers visible to the frequent processions and celebrations along the public streets and piazza they faced. This essay posits that the Doria used soprapporte to not only endorse a unified Genoa but also to advance their individual family agenda on an international stage.