The Holy Door (Porta Santa) of the Papal Basilica of St John Lateran (Basilica Papale di San Giovanni in Laterano), which is the cathedral of Rome, was created by the sculptor Floriano Bodini (1933-2005) for the Holy Year of 2000. The bronze panel depicts the Virgin Mary and Child standing in front of the crucified Christ. Unlike the vast majority of images of the Crucifixion, Bodini has correctly depicted the nails piercing Christ's wrists and not his hands. The simple Latin inscription proclaims: CHRISTUS HERI HODIE SEMPER (Christ Yesterday Today Forever). The coat of arms, at the base of the door, belongs to Pope St John Paul II (r. 1978-2005), who commissioned the work. Each of Rome's four Papal Basilicas has a Holy Door. They are only open during a Holy Year, or Jubilee, which is normally held once every 25 years. Comments are closed.
|
My name is David Lown and I am an art historian from Cambridge, England. Since 2001 I have lived in Italy, where I run private walking tours of Rome.
Search Walks in Rome:
Most Popular Posts
Archives
May 2024
|