Christus Patiens sopra l'Altare Maggiore della Basilica Francescana di Santa Chiara d'Assisi

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Christus Patiens sopra l'Altare Maggiore della Basilica Francescana di Santa Chiara d'Assisi

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“Christus Patiens above the High Altar of the Franciscan Basilica of Santa Chiara d'Assisi”…

Around sunset, the clouds shifted and the descending sun illuminated the Assisi mountaintop as a slight mist of rain mystified the landscape. The ascent was fraught with a multitude of very steep and exhaustive staircases, but the one consolation was the dramatic anticipation of the divine scenery emerging in the distance. As I approached the last two Churches after 7:00 pm; the Basilica of Saint Clare, and the Cathedral of Saint Rufino...I noticed the security guard locking Santa Chiara’s front door. I rushed forward anxiously and begged to just look quickly inside the Vestibule. He only spoke Italian and frustrated with me, said I had one minute inside. Aiming my camera and telephoto lens directly toward the High Altar which seemed a mile away, I clicked one picture as the guard hastily gestured me outside. Ironically, I found that no pictures are allowed in this Basilica. And, on my Pilgrimage of 2019, was frustrated during my tour of the historic and reverent church, still, no pictures were allowed. I always try to respect the rules and venerate every location, however, I did take two very surreptitious images in the Oratorio del Crocifisso (Oratory of the Crucifix), a peaceful chapel that preserves the venerable 12th-century crucifix that spoke to St. Francis at San Damiano. This abrupt photo of the painted crucifix still hangs above the high altar of Santa Chiara and was probably the first painting that was commissioned for the new church. The image was conceived shortly before Saint Clare’s death in 1260 and is attributed to the Maestro di Santa Chiara. The iconography of Christus Patiens (the dying Christ on the Cross) was widely used in early Franciscan churches. In this example, the Virgin and St John the Evangelist flank the Cross, with another figure of the Virgin (praying and flanked by angels) and Christ Pantocrator above.

Copyright: Dino Carbetta
Image Size: 3839x5759 / 126.5MB
Keywords: italy, architecture, clouds, drama, dramatic, heavenly, heaven, countryside, buildings, culture, antiquity, fine art, artistic, landscape, ancient, middle ages, basilica, church, chiesa, duomo, vertical, horizontal, color, age, colour, cathedral, tree, cross, crucifix, monastery, convent, assisi, stairs, staircase, santa maria, mary, jesus, saint clare, christ, cristo, lord, savior, mother mary, blue, evening crepuscolo, sera, mosaic, vista, panorama, pano, mosaico, fresco, rain, rainy, wet, acqua, angel, piccolo, campanile, angelo, rainbow, heaven, skies, sky, rooftop, doppio, arcobaleno, dio, risplende, san rufino, santa chiara, god, tuscany, toscana, dome, beautiful, bellissimo, bello, fiori, azure, blue, azzuri, etruscan, saint francis, san francesco, olives, olive trees, sun, sunlight, dusk, dawn, evening, grandeur, wine, vino, window, door, vernazza, italian, faith, madonna, boats, piazza, mountains, giotto, franciscan, dino, carbetta, italian, fine, art, photography
Contained in galleries: Dino's 2019 Pellegrinaggio

“Christus Patiens above the High Altar of the Franciscan Basilica of Santa Chiara d'Assisi”…<br />
<br />
Around sunset, the clouds shifted and the descending sun illuminated the Assisi mountaintop as a slight mist of rain mystified the landscape. The ascent was fraught with a multitude of very steep and exhaustive staircases, but the one consolation was the dramatic anticipation of the divine scenery emerging in the distance. As I approached the last two Churches after 7:00 pm; the Basilica of Saint Clare, and the Cathedral of Saint Rufino...I noticed the security guard locking Santa Chiara’s front door. I rushed forward anxiously and begged to just look quickly inside the Vestibule. He only spoke Italian and frustrated with me, said I had one minute inside. Aiming my camera and telephoto lens directly toward the High Altar which seemed a mile away, I clicked one picture as the guard hastily gestured me outside. Ironically, I found that no pictures are allowed in this Basilica. And, on my Pilgrimage of 2019, was frustrated during my tour of the historic and reverent church, still, no pictures were allowed. I always try to respect the rules and venerate every location, however, I did take two very surreptitious images in the Oratorio del Crocifisso (Oratory of the Crucifix), a peaceful chapel that preserves the venerable 12th-century crucifix that spoke to St. Francis at San Damiano. This abrupt photo of the painted crucifix still hangs above the high altar of Santa Chiara and was probably the first painting that was commissioned for the new church. The image was conceived shortly before Saint Clare’s death in 1260 and is attributed to the Maestro di Santa Chiara. The iconography of Christus Patiens (the dying Christ on the Cross) was widely used in early Franciscan churches. In this example, the Virgin and St John the Evangelist flank the Cross, with another figure of the Virgin (praying and flanked by angels) and Christ Pantocrator above.

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