Massa Marittima No. 1

Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

Results: 37 records

Click to view images and/or subjects

Apostle or saint - Evangelists - St. John

Scene Description: stading next to Christ in Majesty

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

Apostle or saint - St. Cerbone?

Scene Description: first arch from the right

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

Apostle or saint - St. John the Baptist

Scene Description: finial of the 15th-century addition

Image Source: digital photograph taken 6 July 2008 by sailko [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duomo_di_massa_marittima,_interno,_vasca_battesimale_di_giorldo_da_como_(1267)_con_tabernacolo_del_1447_01.JPG] [accessed 26 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

Apostle or saint - unidentified

Scene Description: all haloed; in several of the spandrels of the arcade

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

Christ - Christ in Majesty - holding book in left hand - right hand raised in benediction

Scene Description: in the centre arch here

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

Mew Testament - annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias: while he is offering incense in the temple an angel (Gabriel) appears to him

Scene Description: front side, first arch from the left

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

New Testament - annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias: while he is offering incense in the temple an angel (Gabriel) appears to him - naming of John the Baptist

Scene Description: front side, second arch form the left

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

New Testament - public life of Christ - baptism of Christ - in the Jordan

Scene Description: front side, centre arch

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

New Testament - public life of Christ - baptism of Christ - in the Jordan - angel holding clothes

Scene Description: to the right of the Baptism of Christ, and part of it

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

Old Testament - prophets

Scene Description: in the 15thC tabernacle-like addition to the font; the three on this side are labelled [L->R]: Sororable, Aaron, Sahil

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

Virgin Mary - haloed

Scene Description: stading next to the Christ in Majesty

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

animal

Scene Description: in several of the spandrels of the arcade

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

animal - mammal - lion - couchant - with prey - 4

Scene Description: at the four angles, supporting the font on their backs

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

cleric - bishop - 2

Scene Description: one in each of the end arches of the arcade here

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

design element - architectural - arcade - trefoiled arches - columns with capitals and bases - patterned columns

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

design element - motifs - vegetal

Scene Description: in several of the spandrels of the arcade

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

design element - patterns - ball-in-socket

Scene Description: all round the upper basin side

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

information

Scene Description: hanging by the font

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

inscription

Scene Description: across the front side of the upper rim, dating this addition to the font to 1447 and attributing it to Giroldo da Como

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

inscription

Scene Description: at the upper and lower ends of 15thC tabernacle-like addition to the font

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of basin

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

view of basin

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

view of basin

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

view of basin - detail

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

view of basin - detail

Scene Description: the Baptism of Christ in the centre and left arches; the haloed figure in the right arch may be St. Cerbonius

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

view of church exterior - bell tower

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

view of church exterior - east view

Image Source: digital photograph taken 6 July 2008 by sailko [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duomo_di_massa_marittima,_retro_01.JPG] [accessed 26 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior - northwest view

Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph taken 15 August 2014 by Gianni o O [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cattedrale_S.Cerbone_-_M.Marittima_(GR).JPG] [accessed 26 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior - west portal - detail

Image Source: digital photograph taken 6 July 2008 by sailko [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duomo_di_massa_marittima,_esterno,_portale.JPG] [accessed 26 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior - west portal - lintel

Scene Description: 13thC lintel with scenes from the life of St Cerbonius [Cerbone], patron saint of the cathedral

Image Source: digital photograph taken 13 September 2015 by Sailko [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duomo_di_massa_marittima,_esterno,_episodi_dlela_vita_di_san_cerbone,_XIII_secolo_01.JPG] [accessed 1 March 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-3.0

view of church exterior - west portal - lintel - detail

Scene Description: Source caption: "St. Cerbonius, Cathedral of Massa Marittima, Tuscany/Italy."

Image Source: digital photograph 7 April 2006 by Ulrich Mayring [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Massa_Marittima_Cerbonius.JPG] [accessed25 August 2023]

Copyright Instructions: GFDL / CC-BY-SA-3.0-migrated

view of church exterior - west view

Scene Description: with a partial view of the detached 'campanile' on the left

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

view of church exterior in context - northwest view

Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph taken 9 June 2014 by trolvag [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:58024_Massa_Marittima_GR,_Italy_-_panoramio_(3).jpg] [accessed 26 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church interior - detail

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

view of church interior - nave - looking east

Image Source: digital photograph taken 6 July 2008 by sailko [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duomo_di_massa_marittima,_interno_02.JPG] [accessed 26 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of font and stoup in context

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

view of font in context

Image Source: digital photograph August 2023 by Angeles Leal

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Mikel Unanue (e-mail of 24 August 2023)

INFORMATION

FontID: 00116MAS

Church/Chapel: Cattedrale di San Cerbone / Duomo di Massa Marittima

Church Patron Saints: St. Cerbonius [aka Cerbo, Cerbone, Cerbonio]

Church Location: Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 58024 Massa Marittima GR, Italy

Country Name: Italy

Location: Grosseto, Toscana

Directions to Site: Located off the SS-439, 37 km NW of Grosseto capital, 111 km from Firenze. The cathedral is located in Piazza del Duomo [aka Giuseppe Garibaldi]

Ecclesiastic Region: Diocese of Massa Marittima-Piombino

Font Location in Church: Inside the church, in the baptistery that is located to the left of the main doorway

Date: 1267

Century and Period: 13th century [composite font], Medieval [composite]

Workshop/Group/Artisan: Giroldo da Como [aka Giroldo da Lugano]

Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Angeles Leal for her photographs of this church, font and stoup

Church Notes: An illustrated overview of the cathedral (external & internal) is available in English, German and Italian at http://www.massamarittima.info/arte/duomo_esterni.htm

Font Notes: Click to view font notes

Described and illustrated in Petrocchi (1900), who notes that the author of this work was "un maestro Comacino", Giroldo di Iacobo from Como, who left his name carved on the front of the basin [cf. Inscription area]. Described and illustrated in Massa Maritima's official web site [www.massamarittima.info]: as it stands now the font consists of two parts dated to different periods: the original font, a rectangular monolithic baptismal font made of travertine stone dated to 1267 and a marble tabernacle-like structure added in 1447; the original font is raised on four felines, three lions and one lioness, each of them, in turn, with other animals identified in the source as: a lion cub (in the legs of the lioness) and a dragon, a bull and a ram (caught in the legs of the lions). The upper addition is square, building like with its own tiled roof, with a tall spire that ends in a finial figure representing John the Baptist; the sides of this addition have a running inscription that dates the structure to 1447; each side of the structure has three niches with a biblical figure in it: on the front side appear Jeremiah, Simeon and Isaiah, clearly identified by a caption at their feet; the lower sides have a running frieze with three cherubs on each side linked by an elegant garland; the underside of this structure is almost flat but decorated with the traditional ribbed pattern commonly found on the undebowls of medieval and later fonts. The font proper, the 13th-century work of Giroldo da Como [aka Giroldo da Lugano] is quadrangular and richly ornamented with scenes of Christ and John the Baptist among others. The upper rim side has ball-in-socket pattern all around; below it an arcade of trefoil arches containg figures, while the spandrels are decorated with figures, animals and vegetation; the front side has five figures: at the centre is Christ in Majesty; to his right, Mary and a haloed bishop; close to Christ's left is another haloed figure holding a scroll and to the left of this figure another haloed bishop, perhaps St. Cerbone, to whom the cathedral is dedicated [the figures are identified by incised inscriptions]. The interior of the font houses four cisterns -as they appear in the fonts at Pistoia, Pisa, etc.- at the four corners.

COORDINATES

Church Latitude & Longitude Decimal: 43.0497, 10.8879

Church Latitude & Longitude DMS: 43° 2′ 58.92″ N, 10° 53′ 16.44″ E

UTM: 32T 653757 4768063

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, travertine stone [lapis triburtinus]

Number of Pieces: one

Font Shape: rectangular (raised tank)

Basin Interior Shape: rectangular

Basin Exterior Shape: rectangular

Height of Basin Side: 100 cm* / 98 cm**

Height of Base: 33 cm*

Font Height (less Plinth): 133 cm*

Trapezoidal Basin: 148 x 237 cm* / 240 x 273 cm**

Notes on Measurements: * www.massamarittima.info / **Petrocchi (1900)

INSCRIPTION

Inscription Language: Latin

Inscription Notes: incomplete texts; a/p Petrocchi (1900)

Inscription Location: a/p parenthetical inserts above

Inscription Text: 1. (at front): "ANNO DOMINI MCCLXVII INDICTIONE [...] MAGISTRO FERRUCCIO, QUONDAM MAGISTRI MICTRINI DI TORNIELLA, OPERARIO EXISTENTE, HOC OPUS SCULTUM EST A MAGISTRO GIROLDO, QUONDAM IACOBI DE CUMO, AD ONOREM DEI, BEATI IOANNES BAPTISTE, BEATI CERBONI PATRONI NOSTRI, ET ALIORUM SANCTORUM DEI" 2. (left niche 1): "Ne timeas Zacharia"; above, right: "Ecce mitto angelum meum"; above, left: "Maria" 2. (left niche 2): Zacharia writes John the Baptist's name 2. (left niche 3): at centre: "Btm XPI"; at right: "IXS-XPS"; at left: "IOKS-BB" and "Ecce Agnus Dei qui tollit peccate mundi" 2. (left niche 4): "Ecce angeli ministrantes Deo"; above: "Angelis suis mandavit de te" 2. (left niche 5): "IOKES" and "Agite poenitentiam, apprpinquat ad regnum coelorum"; above, Geremia on right: "Priusquam te formarem novi te"; above, Isaia left: "Posuit os suum quasi gladium acutum" 3. (centre niche): "Milites venerum ad Ioannem" 4. (right niche 1): "Captio Ioannis" 4. (right niche 2): "Praeceptio Herodis" 4. (right niche 3): "Convivum natalis Herodis" 4. (right niche 4): "Praesentatio capitis" 4. (right niche 5): "Decollatio Ioannis Baptistae" 5. (centre section 1): "Alfa-Omega [...] -- lux mundi -- [...] clamantis -- S. Cerbonius [...] Gloria in excelsis Deo" 6. (marble insert): "NISI QUIS RENATUS FUERITEX AQUA ET SPIRITU SANCTO NON POTEST INTROIRE IN REGNUM COELORUM. HOC OPUS FECIT FIERI S. THOMAS PIERI CERBONII OPERARIUS S. CERBONII MCCCXLVII"

Inscription Source: Petrocchi (1900); Bentley (2001: ill. on p. 182)

REFERENCES

Bentley, James, The Most Beautiful Towns of Tuscany, London: Thames & Hudson, 2001

Nordström, Folke, Mediaeval Baptismal Fonts: An Iconographical Study, Stockholm: Universitetet i Umeå, 1984

Petrocchi, Luigi, Massa Marittima: arte e storia., Firenze: Arturo Venturi, 1900