The Door of the Dead, also known as the Door of Death, is a

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

door sculpted by Giacomo Manzù between 1961 and 1964 by commission of Pope John XXIII. The door is located on the leftmost side of the narthex of St. Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican City, and leads to the interior of the basilica. It is called the ''Door of the Dead'' because it was traditionally used as an exit for funeral processions.

Elements

The door is composed of ten panels which depict the

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

meaning of death. The panels are arranged in five rows and two columns. The top half of the door depicts the deaths of Jesus and Mary, spread across two panels. The two central panels show a vine branch and wheat, which are shown as being turned into wine and bread in symbolic tribute to the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

. The bottom panels depict the deaths of Abel,

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers of ...

, Saint Peter, Pope John XXIII, Saint Stephen,

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...

, and two allusions to the

personification of Death Death is frequently imagined as a personified force. In some mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper (usually depicted as a berobed skeleton wielding a scythe) causes the victim's death by coming to collect that person's soul. Other b ...

. Beneath these depictions are a row of six animals: a blackbird, a dormouse, a hedgehog, an owl, a tortoise and a

raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...

. The inside of the door shows the artist's dedication to Pope John XXIII, a portrayal of John XXIII receiving the bishops on the first day of the Second Vatican Council. Manzù signed the work with the imprint of his right hand on the inside.

Controversy

The door is considered to be Manzù's most controversial work. The corporeal depictions of death were considered disturbing by some Vatican officials, who preferred depictions of a more spiritual nature. Officials were also wary of Manzù's professed

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

ideology and allusions to executions of

fascists Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and th ...

in the panels of the door. Despite these controversies, the door has remained in operation at the basilica.

References

{{coord missing, Italy 1964 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Italy Christian art about death Death in Vatican City Bronze doors Catholic sculpture Sculptures depicting New Testament people Sculptures depicting Hebrew Bible people Sculptures in Vatican City St. Peter's Basilica

Elements

Controversy

See also

References