One of the main streets of Mesagne takes its name from the philosopher and doctor Epifanio Ferdinando. At the end of the street, there is a bas-relief (via Epifanio Ferdinando, 167) which represents Epifanio Ferdinando and Maia Materdona, who was an important poet that lived in the same period as Epifanio Ferdinando (XVII century). This bas-relief has been sculpted by Prof. Giuliano Di Latiano.
Epifanio Ferdinando is the man carved on the left, as indicated by the underlying text: “EPIFANIO FERDINANDO / FILOSOFO MEDICO E STORICO / MESAGNE 1569-1638″ (Epifanio Ferdinando / philosopher doctor and historian / Mesagne 1569-1638). While the man on the right is Gianfrancesco Maia Materdona and the text below him reads as follow:” GIANFRANCESCO MAIA MATERDONA / POETA E SCRITTORE / MESAGNE 1590-ROMA 1650″ (Gianfrancesco Maia Materdona / poet and writer / Mesagne 1590- Roma 1650).
Under the bas-relief you can read in Italian: ”AMMINISTRAZIONE COMUNALE / POSE / IN ONORE DI / EPIFANIO FERDINANO / MAIA MATERDONA / MESAGNE / 9 GIUGNO 2008” (City council / placed / in honor of / Epifanio Ferdinando / Maia Materdona / Mesagne / 9th of June 2008).
- Photos and main text by Marianna Claudia Oriolo and Claudia Smarra (December 2018), courtesy of Dott.Amedeo Elio Distante
- Locate the item on this Google Map