«Nel suo territorio, col suo linguaggio». La Sicilia di Andrea Camilleri come artificio barocco

Abstract

Continuing an acclaimed literary tradition, ranging from the anti-historical and humorous novels by de Roberto and Pirandello, to Brancati’s Baroque-styled moralism, until Sciascia, Andrea Camilleri elevates the non-homogeneity to a distinctive trait of “being Sicilian”and recognizes, enhancing it, the hybrid and impure nature of the island’s identity; however, he seems to relate to a unitary pattern all the Sicilian antinomies; which would derive from a common condition of separation, both historical and geographical, which concerns every inhabitant of the island. The Sicilian writer in his historical and civilian novels tends to highlight the peculiarities of Sicily, with the intent of “reinvigorating the Sicilian identity”; and also: in the novels of Montalbano series, mafia and political corruption often alternate with breathtaking views and the very accurate description of gastronomic specialties. For these reasons, and not because of the presence of individual “aestheticizing”scenographic elements, Camilleri’s universe is polyphonic, contradictory and therefore baroque. The aim of this brief paper is to provide an initial survey of the “baroque”in Camilleri’s writing, observing how it affects (and declines into) three specific levels of his writing: language and style; the structure of the plots; objects or emblems, and the visual and chromatic dimension of literary places.