"Cola u' Nanu": an early nineteenth century case of disproportionate small stature

Historically, several types of dwarfism have been recorded by the visual arts, including achondroplasia and pituitary short stature, complementing traditional osteological studies with a focus on soft tissues [1]. This report considers Cola “u’ Nanu” (Cola the Dwarf) (Fig. 1) who was depicted in 1840 by the famous nineteenth century Sicilian painter Michele Panebianco (1806–1873). Cola, the dialectal diminutive of Nicola, like Panebianco, was born and lived in Messina; he earned a living putting up notices on the walls of Messina to inform the citizenship about the August festivities such as the Festivity of the Assunta (also known as Vara della Assunta) and he is considered the prototype of the local news reporter.