The Kremsmünster Chasuble is an early seventeenth century vestment from the Benedictine Abbey of Kremsmünster in Austria. It is well known in online circles, passing from place to place, no doubt because of its distinctive, one might even say bold display of memento mori --…
The Origin Story of a Distinctive Memento Mori Vestment Design From the 1600's
The Kremsmünster Chasuble is an early seventeenth century vestment from the Benedictine Abbey of Kremsmünster in Austria. It is well known in online circles, passing from place to place, no doubt because of its distinctive, one might even say bold display of memento mori --…
The Recently Restored Chapel of the Annunciation (Cappella Lando) in Chiesa di San Sebastiano, Venice.
Recently, restoration and conservation efforts were completed within the Chapel of the Annunciation (often referred to as the Cappella Lando for reasons we will explain momentarily) in the Church of San Sebastiano in Venice. Now generally speaking, the church is in a Renai…
A General Survey of Some Choir Architecture
Choirs are a beautiful thing. Now, I'm not speaking here about 'choirs' in the sense of members who are singing the chants and/or hymns of the liturgy -- though they are a beautiful thing in their own right when proper and noble liturgical music is executed of c…
Cardinal Pacelli's Mass in St. Paul, Minnesota
Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli celebrated Mass on Tues, October 27, 1936 in the majestic Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota. At that time, he was the highest-ranking Vatican prelate to visit the United States. Catholic high school students were bused in for the Mass, at…
Ecce Agnus Dei
Today I thought we would take a look at a particularly stunning red cope that was restored by Atelier Sirio . Now I do not have anything in the way of information about this particular cope, but from looking at the character of the embroideries, I would guess that it dates t…
The Storied Pavement of the Duomo of Siena Results in an 'Other Modern' Like Design from Sacra Domus Aurea
The atelier, Sacra Domus Aurea , has recently produced a very interesting and unique vestment, the origins of which are hinted at in the name they have given to it: Pianeta Memento Mori di Duomo Siena. They offer the following description of the set and the source of its ins…
An Evocative Wood-Carving of the Beloved Disciple, St. John, by Hape Sculpture
H ape Sculture in Legno is a workshop, based in Italy, that will be already quite familiar to our readers. Their workshop is one which we have featured here many times and as we have pointed out many times, in a modern era that has become absolutely saturated with plaster a…
Church of Sts. Dominic and Sixtus in Rome (Angelicum Chapel)
A very important student chapel in Rome is the church of St. Dominic and Sixtus (Santi Domenico e Sisto), located on a slope of the Quirinale Hill. One of Rome's many beautiful churches, it was named after St. Dominic (founder of the Dominicans) and Pope Sixtus II (comm…
Rediscovering the Beauty of Rogation Days
The Catholic Church has always been a culturally creative force. It teaches that throughout the ages of life and the seasons, mankind is being leavened and permeated by a transcendent principle. And every part of nature is capable of being influenced and sanctified by this …
A Historic Altarpiece Brought Back to Life
Many of our readers will be familiar with Fynders Keepers , a brokerage firm founded in 2001 with an original mission dedicated to finding and re-selling antique church goods and items back to churches for continued liturgical use. This is still a service they offer of cour…
Churches of Québec: Église de Sainte-Victoire in Victoriaville, Québec
As part of our considerations for our Churches of Québec series, today we turn to the historic Église de Sainte-Victoire located in Victoriaville, Québec -- a town located northeast of the city of Montreal. Built in 1896-1897 by the architect Louis Caron, this beautiful sto…
Works in Progress: Iconographic Draughtsmanship
Speaking personally, I have always found it rather gratifying to observe works of art in progress. Michelangelo famously quipped that he simply released the figures that were already hidden within the raw block of stone, chipping away at the extraneous bits to reveal it. To…
Vestments of St. Wenceslas Cathedral, Olomouc, Czech Republic
As part of the 2020 exhibition,"Ornamenta Episcopi: Liturgical Vestments of the Olomouc Cathedral," held at St. Wenceslas Cathedral in Olomouc, Czech Republic, three sets of vestments coming out of the exhibition -- and from two very different periods of time -- …
The (Former) Premonstratenian Abbey Church of St. Magnus in Bad Schussenried, Germany
Until the Imperial Abbey of Schussenried was dissolved in 1803 during the Napoleonic era, the church of St. Magnus was an abbey church. Originally the church was a Romanesque construction, having been built toward the end of twelfth century, but as the abbey grew in its pro…
The Ruben Vestments of Antwerp Cathedral in Belgium (1721-1768)
Within the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Antwerp (Belgium) is a beautiful set of Solemn Mass vestments that they call the Rubensgewaad (Ruben vestments). These particular vestments are liturgically rose in colour and come from the 18th century. Specifically the silk itself is …
The Mosaics of the Procession of the Apostles in the Paleochristian 'Battistero Neoniano' in Ravenna
The Battistero Neoniano (Baptistery of Neon) is a late fourth or early fifth century baptistery found in the city of Ravenna. The baptistery, which is octagonal in shape (a purposefully symbolic choice, representing the eighth day, the day of the Resurrection), was original…
Crux Gemmata: The Heinrichskreuz of Basel Cathedral in Switerzland
A masterpiece of Ottonian era art, the Heinrichskreuz is the gemstone cross associated with the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry II, fashioned in the eleventh century -- with further augmentations occurring during the Renaissance and nineteenth century. Originally this cross was p…
The Virgin of the Rosary Found on the Facade of Iglesia los Santos Juanes in Valencia
With today being the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, there seemed to be no better time to feature an interesting and beautiful work of stucco found on the facade of the thirteenth century church of "los Santos Juanes" in Valencia, Spain -- the Royal Parish of…
The Silver Altar Cross of the Baptistery of Saint John in the Duomo of Florence
Contained within the impressive collections of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence is a silver altar cross that was fashioned in between 1457-1459 by Antonio del Pollaiolo and Betto di Francesco Croce. Originally this altar cross was, according to the Museum, &qu…
Gabriel Pippet's and Maurice Josey's Mosaics at the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Catherine in Worcestershire, England
The Church of the Sacred Heart and St Catherine of Alexandria, located in Droitwich Spa in Worcestershire, England, present a stunning example of the potential for mosaic work in contemporary church design. Mostly we tend to think of mosaics when we consider Byzantine and …
Tabernacle Veils and San Salvatore in Lauro, Rome
Rome is, of course, filled with various churches and chapels, major and minor basilicas, and within the Eternal City, one can find all manner of tabernacles for the purpose of reserving the Blessed Sacrament. In many instances, following the more ancient model (as well as t…
A Medieval Cope Featuring St. John the Baptist, St. Lawrence and Others
While we have our readers attention on some of the spectacular vestments that can be found in Nordic countries like Sweden, I would turn your attention to this gorgeous and unique red velvet cope that is dated to the fourteen or fifteenth century -- specifically to sometime…
