The church of Hosios David is a late, fifth century Byzantine church that was formerly the primary monastic church (or 'katholikon') of the Latomos Monastery. The church was originally built in the Byzantine 'cross in square' plan and, as such, it is one of …
The Fifth Century Byzantine Mosaic of Christ of Latomos in Thessaloniki
The church of Hosios David is a late, fifth century Byzantine church that was formerly the primary monastic church (or 'katholikon') of the Latomos Monastery. The church was originally built in the Byzantine 'cross in square' plan and, as such, it is one of …
A Selection of Mitres from the 1200's through the 1500's
In a previous article, written in January 2023, we considered the topic of The History and Development of the Mitre . That particular article was primarily concerned with the development of the shape of mitres over the course of their history. Today we are less concerned wit…
Filippino Lippi and the Beautiful Cappella Carafa in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
To my mind, one of the most fascinating periods where the Western art of painting is concerned is the Renaissance. Renaissance era painters combine the piety and symbolism of the medieval period with the refined elegance and techniques of later ages such as the baroque. Th…
Vestments from the Norbertine Abbey of Averbode in Belgium
Recently I came across a truly stunning set of vestments from the Norbertine Abbey of Averbode, located near Brussels in Belgium -- but first a bit of history about the abbey itself. The abbey was founded in the first half of the twelfth century before it was suppressed for…
Tonsure Scissors for Liturgical Rites
Liturgical scissors are a rare sight. They are still seen and used in convents and some seminaries. The scissors are used in the ceremony by which clerics are made (tonsure) and the ceremony of first vows for nuns. The cutting of the hair in the rites permits us to consider…
A Digital Reconstruction of a Romanesque Era Altar and Sanctuary
Recently I came across an interesting virtual reconstruction which is a speculative reconstruction of the Romanesque presbytery of the original cathedral of Girona in Spain. This reconstruction was made by 3D Stoa (who have also done this excellent reconstruction of Old St.…
A Selection of Green Chasubles from the Renaissance Era
It is summer time and with summer we find ourselves -- predominantly -- in liturgically green times, so what better time of the year to stop and taken a little 'tour' of some fascinating chasubles in the colour green. For today's considerations I have opted to …
Remnants of a Carved Marble Chancel Screen from Thessaloniki
Typically, when one thinks of Byzantine or Eastern Christian art, we tend to think very much in terms of painted works, not sculptural one's, but of course this is more indicative of the direction Byzantine art would take in the second millennium and it is not necessari…
Trent Before the Counter-Reformation: A Selection of Pre-Conciliar Tridentine Altarpieces
What was Trent like before it became "Trent" as we now tend to think of it? What I mean of course is what were the churches in Trent like prior to the Council of Trent (1545-1563) -- pre-conciliar Trent, if you will. The Council of Trent came out of a need for th…
Liturgical Curiosities: A Gilt Leather Chasuble, Maniple and Stole
Over the years I've seen many curious things and in the realm of sacred vestments one of the more interesting things I've come across are various chasubles made of lace . Now when you think about it historically that's not so very unusual. You use what you have …
Sacerdos Ecclesiastical Tailoring in the Philippines
Art is a tool and since the very essence of liturgical art is to honor God and present the invisible in visible form, it is of the utmost importance to have tailors and artists who can offer the best possible product for service at the altar. The liturgical arts industry is…
A Hidden Masterpiece: The Statue of the Virgin and Child in the Basilica of Sant'Anastasia al Palatino, Rome
I recently came across a very beautiful statue of the Virgin and Child that is located in the Basilica of Sant'Anastasia al Palatino in Rome. This particular statue has a particular European elegance to it and, based on its particular qualities and style, I would wonder…
The Royal Chapel of the Trinity in Château de Fontainebleau
The Château de Fontainebleau was formerly a royal residence located near Paris, having been used by a number of French monarchs as their summer residence (and as an interesting aside, Pope Pius VII stayed here in 1804 en route to crowning Napoleon 'emperor,' and he …
The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, Connecticut
The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, Connecticut was constructed between 1924 - 1928 by the architectural firm of Maginnis and Walsh of Boston. It was in 2008 that it was granted its honorific designation as a 'basilica' by Pope Benedict XVI. (For…
Contemporary Polychromed Sculpture - Val Gardena and the Studio of Ana Rocha
Recently Hape Sculpture , based out of Laion, Italy, revealed a collaborative piece with the atelier of Ana Rocha . This particular collaboration involved Hape producing the hand-carved wooden sculpture itself -- in this instance, a baroque-inspired statue of St. Peter -- wh…
From Kitchen to Chapel: St. Matthew Adoration Chapel in Forestville, Connecticut
C anning Liturgical Arts recently shared a rather unique project with LAJ that involved the conversion of a parish's kitchen space into an adoration chapel. In some senses this might be considered a sort of "before and after" but to my mind, a project such as t…
The Italo-Byzantine Church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio in Palermo, Sicily
Those with knowledge of the history of Italy will know that the southern regions have seen various cultural entities inhabiting and ruling there down the centuries. The Byzantine-Greeks were one such entity and for that reason it should likely come as little surprise that w…
A Tour of the Cathedral Basilica of Notre Dame in Ottawa, Canada
One of the most beautiful churches in Canada is surely the Cathedral Basilica of Notre Dame, located in the capital city of Canada: Ottawa. The basilica is situated near the Canadian capital buildings, and like them, the church is (primarily) constructed in a gothic revival…
Vestments Made by St.Thérèse of Lisieux
Those pilgrims who visit the Carmel in Lisieux are treated to a wonderful little museum at the entrance. Here on display can be seen a set of vestments made by St. Thérèse while she was a sister in the convent. It is a Low Mass Requiem set, in typical French style from that…
An Extraordinary Monstrance from 1774
The following monstrance (also called an "ostensorium") was made in the year 1774, coming by way of a donation made by a generous benefactor, M. Guisseppe Paglia, in his 80th year. We know this because there is a dedicatory inscription found on the monstrance. Thi…
Noble Beauty: An Altar Design for a Small Chapel
Just a little portfolio pitstop today to check in on the studio of Martin Earle . He recently has done some different work on various altars and altarpieces that have caught my attention and I wanted to share a bit of this work with you. Martin's design influences are …
"Strahlenmadonna" of Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century Germany
Medieval Madonna carving are generally quite striking and I've always had a particular interest in the Madonnas of the German tradition called Strahlenmadonna . In English this would translate as the Madonna of Radiance, coming with reference to rays of light that depict…
A Unique Dominican 'Memento' Cope
Here is a rather distinctive cope that feature saints of the Dominican Order. The cope presently is housed within the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The fact is exclusively features Dominican saints is, of course, interesting, but that is not the main reason …
