Cross of San Damiano
The Cross of San Damiano or Francis Cross is a table cross or a cross - icon , in front of which St. Francis of Assisi received the order to restore the Church of San Damiano . The cross from San Damiano hangs today in the Basilica di Santa Chiara in Assisi.
Lore
During the prayer in San Damiano, around the year 1205, according to tradition, the voice of Christ spoke to Francis from the cross in San Damiano:
- "Francis, go and rebuild my house, which, as you can see, is in complete decline."
In response to this vision, he begged building materials and, according to his biographers, began to restore the small Romanesque church by hand.
description
The approximately two meter high wooden cross was made by an unknown Italian master of the 11th / 12th centuries. Century painted in the Byzantine style .
There are thirty-three figures in the cross icon: two Christ figures, a hand of the father , five main characters, two smaller figures, fourteen angels , two strangers on his hands, a little boy, six strangers on the bottom of the cross, and a rooster . There are thirty-three nail heads along the frame in the clam shells and seven around the halo.
At the foot of the cross are the six Umbrian patrons ( John , Michael , Rufinus , John , Peter , Paul ) who look after Jesus, who is lifted up into heaven. Next to Jesus under the cross are Mary and John . On the other side are Mary Magdalene , Mary Cleophae (mother of James) and the Roman centurion of Capernaum ( Centurion ), whose servant or son (depicted on the centurion's left shoulder) was healed by Jesus ( cf.Mt 8 : 5 –13 EU , Joh 4,46–54 EU ), whereupon his whole family (indicated with three heads behind him) professed their faith. The names of the five main witnesses of the crucifixion are written under their pictures.
In Christian iconography , Longinus and the sponge-bearer Stephaton often form a pair on either side of the cross. The small figure on the left is Longinus, the lance-bearer and the small figure on the right (without inscription) is Stephaton , who rubbed Christ with a sponge. A rooster close to the left leg of Jesus calls for vigilance and reminds of Peter's denial .
The crossbar symbolizes the empty tomb of Jesus. Under each of the arms of the crucified one, two angels are visible, speaking to each other at the empty tomb and pointing with their hands at Jesus. Left and right on the outside of Jesus' hands you can see the two women (angels) who go to the grave on Easter morning and only find the empty grave. The angels refer to the risen One .
A medallion in the upper part of the icon shows Jesus with a golden cross in his hand surrounded by angels on his ascension to heaven . In the half-medallion at the top of the icon, the right hand of God appears.
Above the head of Jesus is written: "IHS NAZARE REX IUDEORUM" ( Jesus of Nazareth , King of the Jews).
See also
- Antoniuskreuz (Taukreuz, Franziskuskreuz)
literature
- Martina Kreidler-Kos, Niklaus Kuster: Christ at eye level. The cross of San Damiano. Topos Plus, Kevelaer 2008, ISBN 978-3-8367-0664-3 .
- Johannes Schneider : Virgo ecclesia facta. The presence of Mary on the cross of San Damiano and in the “Officium passionis” of St. Francis of Assisi. Eos-Verlag, St. Ottilien 1999, ISBN 3-88096-779-2 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Thomas von Celano : Biography of Saint Francis (Vita secunda) , 1229, p. 10
- ↑ San Damiano Cross ( Memento of the original from January 22, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. - (Franciscan Friars TOR, 2014)
- ↑ The Cross of San Damiano - (Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross)
- ↑ Michaela Noll: The speaking cross of San Damiano . Diploma thesis, University of Vienna, Faculty of History and Cultural Studies, 2009, p. 6.
- ^ Cross of San Damiano - (Inter-Franciscan Working Group - INFAG)
