Per l’edizione delle Lettere sopra la pittura grottesca di Pirro Ligorio

This contribution brings new information to light regarding the conceptual development of grotesque decoration in late Renaissance art. Three unpublished letters written by Pirro Ligorio are analysed. These scripts are a product of the cultural context of the Counter-Reformation, the artistic aspects of which were pioneered by Gabriele Paleotti, who requested Ligorio's opinion on grotesque paintings before the publication of his Discorso. By comparing these letters with Paleotti's book and other writings by Ulisse Aldrovandi and Federico Pendasio, it is possible to bring new elements to the Renaissance debate on this ornamental style.