Abstract
In this paper we attempt to identify the traces of the past in the rhetorical writings and sermons by Francesco Panigarola (1548–1594), probably the most popular Italian preacher in the Cinquecento. Our aim is to highlight some aspects of his rhetorical background, trying to show that he draws not only on Classical and Christian models but also on contemporary ones. In fact, as we shall make clear, Panigarola's theoretical principles and his own preaching are the result of the harmonization of Classical and Christian models with the new demands of ecclesiastical rhetoric and oratory in the Counter Reformation period.