The Cathedral of Modena: Part 3 - Romanesque Sculptures

We conclude this series of Nicola’s photographs of the cathedral of Modena with several examples of Romanesque sculpture, and a few other miscellaneous items. The balustrade of the sanctuary, which overhangs the entrance to the crypt,

is supported by columns that rest on the backs of lions. These represent the wildness and chaos of the fallen world, to Christ restored order by founding His church; this is why they are most often seen in church architecture “subdued” in this fashion.

Lions have been extinct in Europe for many centuries, and since artists of the Romanesque period had no real ones to look at, they had to copy them as best they could from ancient Roman sarcophagi. The results are often rather strange. This fellow is having a dragon for dinner...

and this one an unfortunate knight.

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The Cathedral of Modena: Part 2 - the Interior

I recently posted some photographs taken by Nicola of the exterior of the cathedral of St Geminianus in Modena, one of my favorite churches in all of Italy. Today we follow up with some of the interior, which is arranged in a manner fairly common for the Romanesque period in northern Italy; the main sanctuary is at a considerably higher level than the floor of the nave, and has a crypt below it. Furthermore, the rood screen in front of the altar was never removed, so this is a place where get a really good sense of what a church of the 12th century was actually like.

The sanctuary seen from the nave...

and the nave seen from the sanctuary.

The reliefs on the liturgical pulpit show Christ and the Four Evangelists; those on the balustrade show the Passion of Christ. For obvious reasons, the Last Supper is given a prominent place, perhaps in deliberate imitation of the Byzantine custom of representing it on the iconostasis.

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The Cathedral of Modena: Part 1 - the Exterior

Back in January, I did three separate posts on one of my favorite Italian churches, the 12th century Romanesque cathedral of St Geminianus in Modena. (part 1, part 2, part 3) Our Ambrosian writer Nicola de’ Grandi recently visited the city, and updated an old album of images of it; since he is a better photographer than I (both in terms of quantity and quality), and has a better camera than I did when I was there, it seems like a good time to another series.

The cathedral was begun in the year 1099, and consecrated in 1184, the façade was one of the first parts to be completed, in 1106.

Many Italian Romanesque churches have a small portico in front of the central door, supported by columns that rest on the backs of sculptures of lions. These represent the wildness and dangers of the world, from which we find refuge within the Church.

In a similar vein, sculptures of wild animals and mythological creatures are often fixed to the exterior. In many cases, these are placed seemingly at random, to indicate the chaos and disorder brought into the world by the Fall of Man, and restored by Christ in and through His Church.

Contemporary to the building of the façade are these four panels of stories from the book of Genesis, made by a sculptor called Wiligelmo. Very little is known about him, but he worked here, and in Piacanza, Cremona, and the abbey of Nonantola, so he is assumed to have been northern Italian himself. This first panel over the door of the left aisle the creation of Adam, the creation of Eve, and Adam and Eve in Paradise.

The second panel, to the left of the central door, show the Original Sin, the expulsion from Paradise, and the first labors of fallen man. 

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The Book of Genesis in Stone

Since the Church begins to read the book of Genesis in the Divine Office on Septuagesima Sunday, I saved these pictures of the exterior of one of my favorite churches in Italy, the Romanesque cathedral of Modena, for today. (We saw the interior on Tuesday, the feast of the St Geminianus, Patron of the church and of the city, and more on Friday.) The façade, constructed at the very beginning of the 12th century, is decorated with four panels by a sculptor named Wiligelmo, representing stories of the Creation, the Fall of Man, and the Flood. These stories are placed on the outside of the church to remind us of our fallen condition and consequent removal from the presence of God, a presence which for Christians is regained inside the Church. The plant and animal motifs inside the church and on its doors show us where the garden of Paradise may now truly be found.

God the creator; the creation of Adam; the creation of Eve; the Serpent speaks to Adam and Eve.

God rebukes Adam and Eve; He expels them from the garden; Adam and Eve begin to work the earth.

Cain an Abel make their offerings to God; Cain kills Abel; God rebukes and curses Cain.

Lamech kills Cain; Noah’s Ark; Noah and his sons leave the ark.

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More Pictures of Modena Cathedral

Following up on Tuesday’s post, here are some more pictures of one of my favorite churches in Italy, the cathedral of Modena, dedicated to a St Geminianus, bishop of the city in the later 4th century, and the Virgin of the Assumption.

Romanesque capitals in the crypt.

A polyptych of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, with Ss. Nicholas, Christopher, Geminianus and Anthony the Abbot, by Serafino de’ Serafini, 1385. This chapel is at the very top of the large staircase that leads to the highly elevated main sanctuary.

The decorative slab on the front of this altar was carved in the 9th century.

Modern work in the main apse of the church.

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The Cathedral of Saint Geminianus in Modena (Part 1)

Today is the feast day of Saint Geminianus, the patron Saint of the small but lovely city of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; he died in the year 397. Not very much is known about him, (he is not even included in Butler’s Lives of the Saints), but devotion to him flourished in northern Italy. His name was even adopted by the much smaller Tuscan city of San Gimignano about a hundred miles away, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. The cathedral of Modena is dedicated to him and the Virgin of the Assumption, and is one of my favorite churches in all of Italy. Later this week, we will have some more pictures of the interior. Since this coming Sunday is Septuagesima, on which the Church begins to read Genesis in the Divine Office, I will post some pictures of the exterior, which is decorated with sculpted panels of some of the stories from that book.

The cathedral museum preserves this decorated folio for the use of the bishop when he presided over Vespers of the Patronal feast; it contains only the opening verse “Deus, in adjutorium...”, the intonations of the first antiphon, the hymn, and the antiphon of the Magnificat, and the prayer.

The main sanctuary is considerably elevated above the floor of the nave, accessed by staircases on either side, while the crypt beneath is only a few steps lower. The reliefs on the liturgical pulpit show Christ and the Four Evangelists; those on the balustrade show the Passion of Christ. For obvious reasons, the Last Supper is given a prominent place, perhaps in deliberate imitation of the Byzantine custom of representing it on the iconostasis. Note also that the rood screen was never removed.

The entrance to the crypt.

The crypt itself is a small forest of well preserved Romanesque columns and capitals of the 12th century.

The sarcophagus which preserves the relics of St Geminianus, made in the late 4th century.

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A Bit More from Modena Cathedral

Just a few more pictures of one of my favorite cathedrals in Italy.

Romanesque capitals in the crypt

Polyptych of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, with Ss. Nicholas, Christopher, Geminianus and Anthony the Abbot, by Serafino de’ Serafini, 1385. This chapel is at the very top of the large staircase that leads to the highly elevated main sanctuary.

The decorative slab on the front of this altar was carved in the 9th century.

Modern work in the main apse of the church.

Continue Reading this Article. . .

Saint Geminianus of Modena

Today is the feast day of Saint Geminianus, the patron Saint of the small but lovely city of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, who died in the year 397. Not very much is known about him, (he is not even included in Butler’s Lives of the Saints), but devotion to him flourished in northern Italy; his name was even adopted by the much smaller Tuscan city of San Gimignano about a hundred miles away, one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Yesterday, we saw the outside of the church and its famous sculpted panels of stories from Genesis; today we will visit the beautiful Romanesque interior.

The cathedral museum preserves this decorated folio for the use of the bishop when he presided over Vespers of the Patronal feast; it contains only the opening verse “Deus, in adjutorium...”, the intonations of the first antiphon, the hymn, and the antiphon of the Magnificat, and the prayer.

The main sanctuary is considerably elevated above the floor of the nave, accessed by staircases on either side, while the crypt beneath is only a few steps lower. The reliefs on the liturgical pulpit show Christ and the Four Evangelists; those on the balustrade show the Passion of Christ. For obvious reasons, the Last Supper is given a prominent place, perhaps in deliberate imitation of the Byzantine custom of representing it on the iconostasis. Note also that the rood screen was never removed.

The entrance to the crypt.

The crypt itself is a small forest of well preserved Romanesque columns and capitals of the 12th century.

The sarcophagus which preserves the relics of St Geminianus, made in the late 4th century.

Continue Reading this Article. . .

The Book of Genesis in Stone

Since the Church traditionally begins to read the book of Genesis in the Divine Office on Septuagesima Sunday, I thought I would take the opportunity to end the week with some pictures of one of my favorite churches in Italy, the Romanesque cathedral of Modena. The façade, constructed at the very beginning of the 12th century, is decorated with four panels by a sculptor named Wiligelmo, representing stories of the Creation, the Fall of Man, and the Flood. These stories are placed on the outside of the church to remind us of our fallen condition and consequent removal from the presence of God, a presence which for Christians is regained inside the Church. The plant and animal motifs inside the church and on its doors show us where the garden of Paradise may now truly be found.

Tomorrow is the feast of Modena’s principal patron, St Geminianus, whose relics are kept in the crypt, so I will post some photos of the interior then.

God the Creator; the Creation of Adam; the Creation of Eve; the Serpent speaks to Adam and Eve

God rebukes Adam and Eve; He expels them from the garden; Adam and Eve begin to work the earth.

Cain and Able make their offerings to God; Cain kills Abel; God rebukes and curses Cain

Lamech kills Cain; Noah’s Ark; Noah and his sons leave the ark.

Continue Reading this Article. . .