Mystery of the last brushstroke
In the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Ispica, the story of his tragic death is hidden in a fresco by Olivio Sozzi.
According to popular tradition, the painter was commissioned to paint the vault of the church but during the work, precisely on 31 October 1765, he died falling from the scaffolding. A large dark brushstroke,the last brushstroke, in the fresco of the Triumph of the Assumption recalls this tragic event. The brushstroke is located near the head of the demon struck by the archangel's sword.
It has never been ascertained that the painter's death was due to an accident or was only the consequence of an illness (it was known that Sozzi suffered heart) but it is certain that he did not complete the frescoes in the church which were then entrusted to other artists.
According to historical sources, the painter Olivio Sozzi had asked in his will to be buried inside the church. Towards the end of the 19th century, during the renovation of the sacristy floors, the body of a man was found with a small mortar next to it used to pound the colours, and this was identified with the body of the painter Sozzi. Following this event, the body was exhibited and a request was made, accepted a few years later, to have the church become a National Monument.
