Madonna and Child (Madonna degli Angeli)

Abstract

In the Chapel of Santa Maria degli Angeli within the Cathedral of Salerno stands a 14th-century wooden statue of the Virgin and Child, known by the same title. The sculpture is believed to have originally occupied the high altar of the Cathedral, flanked by two flying putti. Its form reflects traditional French Gothic iconography: the Virgin’s body follows the graceful S-curve, with her torso leaning slightly back as her hip thrusts forward. She supports the Christ Child on her left hip, holding him with her left hand, while holding an orb with a cross. Scholars have debated over the dating and attribution of the figure; Raffaelo Causa and Antonio Braca both have maintained that the sculpture was made in the late 14th century. It may have been created by a local sculptor who was inspired by Marian sculptures in Spain. Conversely, Pierluigi Leone de Castris has proposed an earlier, early 14th-century date, noting the striking resemblance between this Madonna and the Madonna of San Domenico in Orvieto, in the Marche region. The commission may be linked to Archbishop Guglielmo Sanseverino, as his coat of arms was once visible on the original altar where the sculpture was once located. The statue has undergone a couple of restorations. In 1985, the Superintendency of Salerno oversaw a campaign that included surface cleaning and the removal of later 19th-century paint layers. Most recently, in 2024, the Madonna and Child underwent conservation, preserving its material integrity and revealing its original polychromy. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.