Miracle of St Peter the Martyr

This large canvas comes from the suppressed Dominican Church of San Giovanni Pedemonte, more precisely from the chapel dedicated to St Peter of Verona. The subject of this painting the miraculous healing of the paralysed Asserbio (or Acerbo), who was brought before St Peter the martyrin a cart and, after receiving a blessing, was able to walk again. The painting shows the culmination of the story, when the Dominican saint restores movement to the man immobilised in his rudimentary means of transport, much to the astonishment of the onlookers. The scene is set in front of the façade of a church that resembles that of San Giovanni Pedemonte, while all around are numerous references to ancient Rome. The identity of the painter remained uncertain for a long time, until an archive document revealed his name to be Giovanni Paolo Ghianda from Como, who painted it in 1628–1629. Like the other painters of Como who were his contemporaries, Ghianda’s choices of styles were deeply influenced by the Morazzone, as testified by his passion for landscapes and for classical architecture.(P. Vanoli)