Tabernacle

Abstract

To the right of the high altar in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome is the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, also known as the Cappella Sistina, named after its founder, Pope Sixtus V (reigned 1585–1590). On the altar is a monumental, gilt bronze tabernacle dated to 1589, measuring almost two meters in height. This freestanding Eucharistic tabernacle is a key element of the chapel’s iconographic and theological programme. Shaped like a domed temple, it draws inspiration from the Temple of Solomon and carries rich typological and symbolic meaning. For example, it also references Bethlehem, meaning “House of Bread,” alluding to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist housed within. The construction of the tabernacle was a collaboration between Bastiano Torrigiano (d. 1596), a Bolognese sculptor and bronze founder, and Lodovico del Duca (c. 1590–1600), a Sicilian sculptor. According to contemporary documents, Torrigiano was responsible for both designing and casting the four monumental bronze angels that support the tabernacle. These angels lift the structure with one hand while holding ornate cornucopias, topped with candles, in the other. Lodovico del Duca modelled and cast the tabernacle itself, including its intricate sculptural decorations. While the identity of the original designer remains uncertain, strong evidence points to Domenico Fontana (1543–1607), the chapel’s architect, possibly in collaboration with Giovanni Guerra (1544–1618). A preparatory drawing held in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Angers suggests Guerra’s hand in the design, while the angels were potentially drawn by Cesare Nebbia (1536–1614), one of the chapel’s fresco painters. This drawing differs from the completed monument, suggesting it may have served as a preliminary design. The tabernacle is octagonal and organized in two levels, crowned by a cupola surmounted by Sixtus V’s heraldic emblem. The lower storey features four main faces with figural reliefs depicting pairs of angels bearing a monstrance, framed within small architectural niches (aediculae). Between these main panels, the four secondary sides contain niches with statuettes of male saints and Old Testament figures. Among them, Moses (with the tablets) and St. John the Baptist (in a pelt) are easily identifiable; the remaining two lack clear attributes and remain unidentified. Above this level, a balustrade supports sixteen statuettes, two per side. These include repeated representations of Moses and John the Baptist, along with St. Paul (with a sword), St. Peter (with keys), and St. Andrew (with his cross). The remaining figures are more generalized and do not appear to represent specific saints. The upper storey, framed by vine-entwined columns, features eight relief panels narrating episodes from Christ’s Passion, proceeding counter-clockwise from the chapel entrance: The Last Supper, The Agony in the Garden, The Flagellation, Christ Carrying the Cross, The Crucifixion, The Deposition, The Lamentation, and The Resurrection. These scenes bear a strong stylistic resemblance to those on Giacomo del Duca’s earlier tabernacle for Santa Maria degli Angeli, now in Naples, suggesting that Lodovico was heavily influenced by his brother’s work. Atop the upper storey are sixteen trumpet-blowing putti. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.