Altarpiece of the Madonna of Constantinople

Abstract

This altarpiece is in the Chapel of the Confraternity of Corpus Christi and the Madonna di Constantinopoli in Matera, adjacent to the Cathedral and now accessible as a part of the Museo Diocesano. The richly ornate classical architecture of the altarpiece, now painted white, was presumably originally polychromed, like Persio's altarpiece in the Cathedral. The figure of Christ at the top of the altarpiece is signed and dated (1540) on the base. This statue is flanked by sculptures of the Annunciation. The central image copies the famous Madonna of Constantinople, but in the form of relief (now covered with thick later paint that mimics mosaic). A relief nearby, surely originally a part of the altarpiece, shows the members of the confraternity praying before a crucifix. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.