Ciborium

Abstract

On the main altar of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere in Rome stands a polychrome stone ciborium, signed and completed by Arnolfo di Cambio (d. 1302) on November 20, 1293, as part of a broader architectural renovation campaign that replaced an earlier ninth-century ciborium. The structure is supported by four columns of white and black marble and adorned with intricate Cosmatesque designs composed of coloured tiles. Gilded marble sculptures of saints, prophets, evangelists, and angels embellish the ciborium. At each corner, statues represent the martyrs venerated in the church: Saint Cecilia, Saint Valerian, Saint Tiburtius, and Pope Urban I. The ciborium was re-gilt and decorated with bronze vases at the top of the pinnacles in 1600 when the statue of Santa Cecilia was commissioned from Stefano Maderno and placed below the ciborium. An additional restoration under the direction of the church’s monastery took place between March and April 1711. At this time, the structural integrity of the ciborium—which was compromised by earthquakes at the start of the eighteenth century—was reinforced and some components were replaced. The ciborium underwent conservation treatment in 2007. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.