Animal figures next to the Giants

Originally, all the creatures represented were inspired by the stories of biblical and hagiographic episodes described in the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine: the dragon, the Vibria (the female equivalent of the dragon) and the Tarasca were associated with the deeds of Saint George, Saint Martha and Saint Michael; the eagle with the virtues of the Evangelist; the lion with those of Saint Mark; the Mulassa and the ox with the nativity scene. The two most important giants were Goliath (originally paired with David) and Saint Christopher (the giant bearer of the Christ child). The Christian script provides for the staging of “games” designed to exemplify the victorious struggle of faith over evil creatures, by the contrast between a representative of the Good (a saint or a hero) and a negative giant figure (Goliath and the Dragon). Over time, however, these figures have crossed the limits imposed by spectacular religious symbolism. The giants and other monstrous beasts have taken on a new and changing identity, undergoing an intense process of stratification that often makes them unrecognizable today, yet extremely vital.