Crucifix (Volto Santo)

Abstract

This painted wood crucifix is a copy of a work known as the Volto Santo (holy face). According to believers, the Volto Santo, a wooden polychrome crucifix, is both the result of a miracle and miracle-working. It was supposed to have been made by Nicodemus, a witness to the Crucifixion. He felt that he could not carve the face, and so angels finished it. The crucifix was brought to Lucca, effecting miracles along the way. This work is one of many copies that were made well into the seventeenth century. The crucifix was originally in the Collegiata in San Gimignano and is now housed in the Museo d'Arte Sacra in San Gimignano. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.