POLITICO. - A term generally used to denote a complex of more than three painted panels joined together by an architectural-style frame.
A *dittico* (diptych) refers to a complex of two paintings united together, whose compositions may or may not complement each other, while a *trittico* (triptych) denotes a complex of three paintings, the side ones of which are called wings or shutters. The term *politico* is generally preferred over terms such as *teatri* or *pentitico*, also because in most cases, between the 14th and 15th centuries—when *politici* were most widely diffused—besides the main compositions, the elaborate frames often accommodated smaller painted panels, particularly in the *cimosa* (molding), pilasters, and predella. Characteristic examples are found in Sienese, Umbrian, and Venetian painting, especially in regions where the Gothic architectural style was most prevalent.
In a *politico*, the base is generally the predella, divided into several sections; upon it rest small pilasters that culminate in pinnacles or spires and frame the main panels, which are almost always arched. Above these is often a second tier of painted panels, smaller than the preceding ones, themselves surmounted by nearly always polylobed panels. A typical example is the *politico* by Nicola Alunno, housed in the Pinacoteca of Gualdo Tadino, as well as those with various figurative elements in polychrome sculpture by the masters of the Murano school.