The Reliquary of the Santo Corporale (''Holy Corporal'') of Bolsena is a medieval artwork made by Sienese goldsmith Ugolino di Vieri in 1337-1338. The reliquary is made of gold-plated silver and enamel and is c.139 cm high. The reliquary was recently transferred to the cathedral museum from the cathedral itself where it had been from the time of its creation.

Description

The reliquary of the Santo Corporale is considered to be one of the most important 14th century metal works from Siena. It is a gothic miniature inspired by northern European models showing the facade of the Orvieto Cathedral. The reliquary contains three vertical sections like the cathedral facade, but its typanum are much more acute. In addition, it contains a series of pinnacles surmounted by golden statues; this indicates a northern European influence as these details are generally not part of Italian architecture. Such influences from north of the Alps can frequently be seen in Italian gold and silver work of this era. Additional statues can be found at the base of the reliquary and on top is a jeweled cross. The reliquary is considered to be important artistically also because it contains the earliest extant painted translucent enamels. Thirty-two scenes in painted enamels represent the ''Stories of the Corporal ''and ''the Passion of Christ'', created with a very contemporary style. Elaborate architectural sections, moving gothic lines, and great attention to fine detail show a strong affinity to panel painting of the era, including to artists like

Simone Martini Simone Martini ( – 1344) was an Italian painter born in Siena. He was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting and greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style. It is thought that Martini was a pupil ...

as well as the contemporary artists

Pietro Pietro is an Italian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Pietro I Candiano (c. 842–887), briefly the 16th Doge of Venice * Pietro Tribuno (died 912), 17th Doge of Venice, from 887 to his death * Pietro II Can ...

and

Ambrogio Lorenzetti Ambrogio Lorenzetti (; – 9 June 1348) or Ambruogio Laurati was an Italian painter of the Sienese school. He was active from approximately 1317 to 1348. He painted ''The Allegory of Good and Bad Government'' in the Sala dei Nove (Salon of Nine ...

. With a taste even more markedly gothic it is a fundamental example of pictorial art of the Sienese school. Blue is the dominant background color from which stand out points of brilliant yellow, green, and red which render the scenes perfectly legibile. The reliquary was created to house a linen liturgical cloth, a

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

, onto which appeared the blood of Christ from a consecrated host, and it was designed to house also the host itself. This event is reported to have occurred during a Mass celebrated in Bolsena by a skeptical Bohemian priest in late 1263 or 1264.

Image gallery

File:Particolare_di_una_scena_in_smalto_translucido_del_reliquiario_del_coprorale_di_bolsena,_duomo_di_orvieto,_fatto_da_ugolino_di_Vieri,_senese,_tra_il_1337_e_il_1338.jpg, ''Christ teaching the apostles'' File:Particolare_di_una_scena_2_in_smalto_translucido_del_reliquiario_del_coprorale_di_bolsena,_duomo_di_orvieto,_fatto_da_ugolino_di_Vieri,_senese,_tra_il_1337_e_il_1338.jpg, ''Resurrection''

References

Bibliography

* P. Dal Poggetto, ''Ugolino di Vieri: gli smalti di Orvieto'', Firenze 1965.

Description

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References

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