Travels in Rome] (12) Impressed by the statue of St. Cecilia in Maderno! ~Masterpiece sculpture of the Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
This time we will introduce the Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.
It is a venerable church located in the Trastevere district on the other side of the Tiber side of the river.
I came here because I wanted to see a sculpture.
That's the previous article(10) Visiting the Catacombs of San Callisto: The History of the Catacombs and Rome as a City of Death and Prayer."The Martyrdom of St. Cecilia," which was introduced in
The original sculpture is housed here in the Basilica of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere.
St. Cecilia (Santa Cecilia) was a martyr of the Roman Empire around the second century, famous as the patron saint of musicians and the blind. The wounds on her neck received during her execution are still visible on this statue.
The statue itself was created by Stefano Maderno in 1600, and when her tomb was opened in 1599, the whole of Rome was awed by the "miracle" of finding her body in its original state. Maderno said that he made a sculpture of St. Cecilia exactly as he saw her there.
The statue I saw in the catacombs had such a powerful impact on me that I had to see it in its original form.
I visited at dusk, so I was almost the only one in the cathedral. What luck!
The dimly lit cathedral is solemn and majestic. The quiet and still interior of the church. How beautiful!
And at the bottom of that central altar was enshrined the "Martyrdom of St. Cecilia" that I had requested. I have rarely seen a church with this kind of structure.
This is the original sculpture by Maderno.
Maderno is a genius..! I froze in front of this statue. I don't know what attracted me so much. But I was just glued to this statue.
I don't know how to say this...
First of all, it is hard to believe that this is a stone. No, I know in my head that it is a stone. But there is something far beyond the object of stone. It has a human texture, softness, and roundness. It doesn't even feel dead. It just conveys a "feeling" of being completely relaxed. Yes, there is a "sense" of something being transmitted.
Looking back at this photo now, I feel the extraordinary "feeling" of this sculpture.
Rome is home to many excellent sculptures left by Bernini, Michelangelo, and others. However, the one that struck me the most during my stay in Rome this time was this "Martyrdom of St. Cecilia. I regret that I was only able to visit this cathedral once due to time constraints. Even as I write this article, my heart is aching to see the statue one more time.
I can't really explain why I became so enamored with this statue. But the overwhelming power of the statue literally knocked me over. It was that overwhelming.
and(10) Visiting the Catacombs of San Callisto: The History of the Catacombs and Rome as a City of Death and Prayer."As I mentioned in the article "The St. Cecilia", this St. Cecilia is also famous for Raphael's paintings. Santa Cecilia" in the collection of the Bologna Museum of Art is also known to have been a favorite of Russian writer Dostoevsky. (See also.(23) Visiting Venice, a colorful city of art: What did Dostoevsky think of this beautiful city of water?(See article in)
As the patron saint of music, this painting depicts a musical instrument. However, the composition of the patron saint of music is very strange, with a broken instrument placed carelessly. The depiction of the faces, poses, and clothing of each of the figures is unmistakably Raphael-like. Dostoevsky, an unparalleled Raphael lover, must have found this work to his liking.
It was very hard for me to leave this church. Even now, after returning to Japan, I still miss it. The sculptures were so wonderful. If you are ever in Rome, I highly recommend you to visit this church.
*The list of articles in the "Rome Travel Journal" can be found atCategory page hereindicates direction or goal (e.g. "to")
*Please visit this category page for recommended books to learn about Rome and Italy.
The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism."
The Italian Renaissance and the Revolution in Knowledge."
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