The
Arca di San Domenico (Ark of Saint Dominic) is a monument containing the remains of
Saint DominicSaint Dominic , also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo de Guzmán Garcés was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers , a Catholic religious order...
. It is located in Dominic’s Chapel in the
Basilica of San DomenicoThe Basilica of San Domenico is one of the major churches in Bologna, Italy. The remains of Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers , are buried inside the exquisite shrine Arca di San Domenico, made by Nicola Pisano and his workshop, Arnolfo di Cambio and with later additions by Niccolò...
in
BolognaBologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of northern Italy...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
.
History
The elaboration of this artistic masterpiece was performed in separate stages by the best sculptors of their time and took almost 500 years to finish.
Saint Dominic died in the convent of the church of San Nicolò delle Vigne on 6 August 1221. He was buried behind the altar. The church of San Nicolò was expanded into the
Basilica of San DomenicoThe Basilica of San Domenico is one of the major churches in Bologna, Italy. The remains of Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers , are buried inside the exquisite shrine Arca di San Domenico, made by Nicola Pisano and his workshop, Arnolfo di Cambio and with later additions by Niccolò...
between 1228 and 1240. The remains of the saint were moved in 1233 from its place behind the altar into a simple marble sarcophagus, situated on the floor in the right aisle of the church for the faithful. Since most of the pilgrims, who came in great numbers to see the grave, were not able to see this shrine, hidden by so many people standing in front of it, the need was felt for a new shrine.
In 1264, the Dominicans then commissioned a new tomb for their founder to
Nicola PisanoNicola Pisano was an Italian sculptor whose work is noted for its classical Roman sculptural style. Pisano is sometimes considered to be the founder of modern sculpture. - Early life :His birth date or origins are uncertain...
, the famous sculptor of the
pulpitA pulpit is a small elevated platform from which a member of the clergy delivers a sermon in a house of worship....
of the
Pisa BaptisteryThe Baptistry of St. John is a religious building in Pisa, Italy. It started construction in 1152, in replacement of an older baptistry, and completed in 1363...
. He was certainly responsible for the design of the new sarcophagus, but in 1265 he was already at work on another assignment, the pulpit for the
Siena CathedralThe Cathedral of Siena , dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church and now to Santa Maria Assunta , is a medieval church in Siena, central Italy....
. The front side was done in his workshop, partially by Nicola Pisano himself but mostly by his assistant Lapo di Ricevuto. The rectangular sarcophagus was originally borne on
caryatidA caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
figures. When the Ark was later redesigned, these supports were dispersed and are now tentatively identified in several museums: the archangels "Michael" and "Gabriel" (in the
Victoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum in London is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. Named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, it was founded in 1852, and has since grown to now cover some and 145 galleries...
, London), the statue "Faith" (
LouvreThe Musée du Louvre or officially the Grand Louvre — in English, the Louvre Museum or Great Louvre, or simply the Louvre — is the largest national museum of France, the most visited museum in the world, and a historic monument. It is a central landmark of Paris, located on the Right Bank of the...
, Paris), a group of three deacons (in the
BargelloThe Bargello, also known as the Bargello Palace or Palazzo del Popolo is a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy.-Terminology:...
, Florence) and a similar group in the
Museum of Fine Arts, BostonThe Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas. The museum was founded in 1870 and its...
.
The sarcophagus was relocated in the middle of the church in 1411. Between 1469 and 1473 a crowning was added on the flat top of the sarcophagus by Niccolò dell'Arca and several other masters in their art, among them the young
MichelangeloMichelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer...
.
In 1532, a step was added between the sarcophagus and the altar slab by
Alfonso LombardiAlfonso Lombardi , also known as Lombardi da Lucca, Alfonso da Ferrara and as Alfonso Lombardo, was an Italian sculptor and medalist who was born in Ferrara, Italy in 1497. His early work consists of portrait medals carved in stucco or wax and then cast in metal. Cardinal Ippolito de’Medici ...
.
The Saint Dominic’s chapel was built by the Bolognese architect Floriano Ambrosini from 1597, replacing the small gothic chapel from 1413. The Dominicans wanted a chapel for their founder to match the splendour of the other existing chapels. The fresco on the cupola of the apse
St. Dominic’s Glory, a masterpiece by
Guido ReniGuido Reni was an Italian painter of high-Baroque style.-Biography:Born in Bologna into a family of musicians, Guido Reni was the son of Daniele Reni and Ginevra de’ Pozzi. As a child of nine, he was apprenticed under the Bolognese studio of Denis Calvaert. Soon after, he was joined in that...
, painted between 1613 and 1615, matches the artistic value of the underlying Ark of St. Dominic.
Finally the whole tomb was put on a marble altar in the 18th century. In a little chapel, on the back of the tomb, is the golden reliquary with the
Head of St. Dominic, a masterpiece by Jacopo Roseto da Bologna (1383).
The sarcophagus
The
sarcophagusA sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos the word came to refer...
is the middle part and also the oldest part of the shrine. It contains the remains of Saint Dominic in a cypress coffin, with the exception of his head (which is preserved in the
reliquaryA reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
at the back of the monument).
Nicola PisanoNicola Pisano was an Italian sculptor whose work is noted for its classical Roman sculptural style. Pisano is sometimes considered to be the founder of modern sculpture. - Early life :His birth date or origins are uncertain...
, already famous for his pulpit in the
Pisa BaptisteryThe Baptistry of St. John is a religious building in Pisa, Italy. It started construction in 1152, in replacement of an older baptistry, and completed in 1363...
, was asked in 1264 to construct this sarcophagus. He was certainly responsible for the design, but left the brunt of the work to his workshop, since in 1265 he was already at work on a new commission (the pulpit for the Siena Cathedral).
The front side was done in his workshop, partially by Nicola Pisano himself but mostly by his assistant Lapo di Ricevuto. and another famous sculptor
Arnolfo di CambioArnolfo di Cambio was an Italian architect and sculptor.-Biography:Arnolfo was born in Colle Val d'Elsa, Tuscany....
. The Dominican brother fra Guglielmo da Pisa (who also designed in 1270 a pulpit in San Giovanni Fuorcivitas in
PistoiaPistoia is a city in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence.- History :...
) made a small contribution. According to
Gnudi (see ref.) an anonymous Fifth Master was also involved. A collaboration of several sculptors on a such a large commission was normal practice in medieval sculpture.
The sarcophagus recounts the life and miracles of Saint Dominic in a series of six carved panels. The compositions are neatly filled with figures in organized rows, giving a single approach to space. The sarcophagus is flanked on each corner by statues in high-relief of the Four Doctors of the Church.
The scenes are arranged in following sequence from left to right and counterclockwise:
- On the left corner stands Paul the Apostle.
- St. Dominic resurrects the young Napoleone Orsini, after a fatal fall from his horse. The expressive face of Saint Dominic, so different from the more blander faces in this front panel, is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio.
- In the middle: a high-relief of A Virgin and Child.
- The Miracle of the Book rejected by Fire, acting out a story of Dominic’s preaching in Fanjeaux
Fanjeaux is a village and commune of the Aude département, in south-western France.Fanjeaux is located west of Carcassonne, in the French département of Aude, a part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Languedoc-Roussillon région...
, southern France, against the AlbigensianCatharism was a name given to a Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France and other parts of Europe in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. Catharism had its roots in the Paulician movement in Armenia and...
heresy.
- on the right corner St. Dominic with the Book and the Scourge.
- The Angels bring Bread to the Friars thanks to Dominic’s Intercession, representing one of the first miracles of the saint.
- The back of the tomb gives two scenes (each with three episodes), divided by a statue of Christ the Redeemer.
- On the left a scene of the life of Blessed Reginald of Orléans, founder of the monastery in Bologna; the Blessed promises St Dominic to enter the Order; the Blessed falls ill; the Virgin heals him and gives him the habit of the Preaching Friars
- on the right: St. Dominic asks pope Innocent III to approve the Order; the pope dreams of the Saint supporting the basilica of the Lateran; the pope approves the foundation of the Order.
- In the corner on the right: a high-relief of St. Augustine, author of the Dominican Rule.
- The last relief gives two more episodes: The Apostles Peter and Paul appear to Saint Dominic, while he was praying in the basilica of St. Peter, and give him the staff and the Book (symbols of the Apostolic mission); the Saint sends his followers out on their mission to preach in the world.
Work on the sarcophagus was finished in 1267. This sarcophagus, originally with its
caryatidA caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term karyatides literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient town of Peloponnese...
supports, was taken as model for other tombs: the shrine of St Peter Martyr in the basilica of San Eustorgio in
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
, the shrine of St Luke (1316) in the basilica of San Giustina in
PaduaPadua is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice , in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area, having a population of c...
and the tomb of Beato Bertrando (c. 1334-1350) in
UdineUdine is a city in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,030 in 2008, and that of its urban area was 174,000.- History :Udine is the historical capital of Friuli...
.
The crowning
The ambitious addition of a crowning to the sarcophagus was commissioned in 1469 to Niccolò da Bari to complete this funeral monument. Work at this elaborate spire continued till 1473. But it is not clear why Niccolò did not complete his contract, even if he did continue intermittently at it until his death.in 1494.
On top of a candelabrum, rising from the
cymaCyma may refer to either:* A style of molding* Cyma Zarghami, the president of Nickelodeon and MTV Networks' Kids & Family Group* CYMA - Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia, a Canadian-run humanitarian program...
, stands the impressive statue of the
Eternal Father. The candelabrum is held by two putti, symbols of the sky, and four dolphins, symbols of the sea, all covered with
festoonFestoon , a wreath or garland, and so in architecture a conventional arrangement of flowers, foliage or fruit bound together and suspended by ribbons, either from a decorated knot, or held in the mouths of lions, or suspended across the back of bulls heads as...
s with fruit, symbols of the earth.
On the cornice at its base is in the middle a small
Pietà, flanked by two winged angels (the
Angel of the Annunciation and the
Angel of the Passion), while on the four corners stand the four
EvangelistIn Christian tradition the Four Evangelists refers to the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark*Gospel according to Luke...
s in oriental robes. The lower part of the cyma is surrounded by several free-standing figures, the Patron Saints of Bologna: Saint
Francis of AssisiSaint Francis of Assisi was a Catholic deacon and the founder of the Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans....
, San Petronio (began by Niccolò but finished by young
MichelangeloMichelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer...
in 1494),
Saint DominicSaint Dominic , also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo de Guzmán Garcés was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers , a Catholic religious order...
and San Floriano. On the back stand the statues St Anne, St John the Baptist (sculpted by Girolamo Cortellini in 1539), San Vitale and San Procolo (Michelangelo, 1494 – the resemblance and the posture of this statue shows that he had already his "
DavidDavid is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture sculpted by Michelangelo from 1501 to 1504. The 5.17 meter marble statue portrays the Biblical King David in the nude. Unlike previous depictions of David which portray the hero after his victory over Goliath, Michelangelo chose to represent David...
" in mind at that time).
Niccolò also added the delicate
Candlestick-holding Angel on the left side of the altar slab, below the sarcophagus, while the one on the right side with its youthful strength is by Michelangelo. Michelangelo was paid thirty ducats by his patron Francesco Aldovrandi.
Because of the admiration he received for this splendid masterpiece, he was renamed Niccolò dell'Arca. Art critics perceive in this masterpiece a blend of influences: Burgundian, Florentine and non-Tuscan (such as details in clothing). The way these statuettes express their emotions and the patterns in their dresses and hair evoke the style of
Jacopo della QuerciaJacopo della Quercia was an Italian sculptor of the Italian Renaissance, a contemporary of Brunelleschi, Ghiberti and Donatello. He is considered a precursor of Michelangelo.-Biography:...
The step
The step, between the sarcophagus and the altar slab, was the third addition to the monument. It was sculpted in 1532 by
Alfonso LombardiAlfonso Lombardi , also known as Lombardi da Lucca, Alfonso da Ferrara and as Alfonso Lombardo, was an Italian sculptor and medalist who was born in Ferrara, Italy in 1497. His early work consists of portrait medals carved in stucco or wax and then cast in metal. Cardinal Ippolito de’Medici ...
(1497–1547). Again it depicts a number of episodes form the life of Saint Dominic.
- front: (left) St Dominic’s birth; the young Dominic sleeping on the floor as a penance; Saint Dominic shows his charity by selling his valuable hand-glossed parchments to help the poor (while he was studying in Palencia)
- front (middle part) The Adoration of the Magi (with the inscription: Alphonsus de Lombardis Ferraniensis F(ecit))
- front (right) The Saint is taken to Heaven on a ladder supported by Christ and the Virgin.
The altar
The marble altar was the last addition to the Arca. It was designed by Mauro Tesi (1730–1766) and later built by Alessandro Salviolini in 1768. On the altar slab stand the two statuettes of the angels holding a candlestick; on the left by Niccolò dell'Arca, on the right by Michelangelo.
The frontal was sculpted in G. Battista Boudard's workshop in Parma in 1768. It represents
St. Dominic's Burial, as designed by Carlo Bianconi (1732–1802).
The reliquary
Behind the altar, under the sarcophagus is a small chapel, protected by a bronze grill, containing the precious reliquary with the head of Saint Dominic. This masterpiece of gold and silver is the work of the goldsmith Jacopo Roseto da Bologna (1383). Its octagonal base is adorned with elaborate enamelled panels, related to events in the life of the saint. The shaft consists of three levels. It stands in the middle of a circle with winged angels. The shaft supports an octagonal temple, containing the head. It is adorned with Gothic windows and small statuettes in niches. The silver bust of the Saint crowns the whole, but it was added in a later stage.