Reliquary of San Nazaro
The Reliquary of San Nazaro is a silver reliquary box from the late 4th century from the Church of San Nazaro in Milan . It is exhibited today in the Museo Diocesano in Milan.
history
1. Recovery
In 1578, during repair work in the Church of San Nazaro in Milan, several relics were found under the crossing altar (then Altar of St. Peter ) and under the altar in the east apse. These supposedly consisted of the bones of St. Nazarius (Italian San Nazaro), Venerius , Glycerius , Marolus , Lazarus as well as the bones of strangers and some objects. These items were a silver box with figurative decorations and a silver ball with an enclosed bone. The discovery is attested by Carlus a Basilica (Carlo Bascapé) and Giovanni Pietro Giussano. The then Archbishop Carlo Borromeo saw a testimony of the apostles in the silver box and referred to a report by Paulinus of Milan , which handed down how relics, including the bones of St. Peter were brought from Rome under Simplicianus . At the beginning of May 1579, on the occasion of the 5th Provincial Synod, the relics were reburied under the newly erected altar in the eastern arm of San Nazaro.
2. Recovery
On May 8, 1894, the then chief pastor of San Nazaro, Padre Pozzi, reopened the relic depot. This happened in the course of the 1500 year return of the day of the translation of the bones of St. Nazaro to San Nazaro. The relics should be revealed to the believers for veneration. At the opening about 1 m below the altar a Roman granite bar with a heavy stone lid was found. Inside was a Pluviale (liturgical garment) made of red silk with gold trim, four smaller lead urns, a silver box, a silver bullet with included bone and probably belonging to the box lock and a metal plate with the inscription " Reliquae SS. Apostolorum ". The whole rested on a strong iron latticework. In the box itself there were strands of hair and many handkerchiefs that can be interpreted as brandea ( relics of touch). There were also inscriptions on the lead urns, according to which the bones of St. Nazarius and the Milanese bishops Venerius, Marolus, Glycerius and Lazarus are located.
Placement of the relics and dating
According to a letter from Ambrose to his sister Marcellina, the relics were already in San Nazaro before the consecration of San Ambrogio. This is clear before 386 AD. However, the relics are not named in the letter. Therefore, one cannot say which relics were in San Nazaro before 386 AD. Another literary source is Paulin of Milan, who describes how Simplicianus brought relics from Rome to San Nazaro. The dating of the relics is difficult due to a lack of tradition. An example is the silver box, which is dated either to the late 4th century, according to the letter of San Ambrogio, or to the 16th century according to the argumentation of Charles Rufus Morey , who stylistically inserts the figurative scenes on the box 16th century. The most common dating in the research literature goes to the late 4th century.
The silver box of San Nazaro
The silver box is cube-shaped with a base of 18.5 cm × 18.5 cm and a height of 17.5 cm. It is a driving work made of approx. 2 mm thick silver sheet. This was gilded. The box is figuratively decorated. The details are worked out by chasing. A staurogram made of sheet gold is attached to the inside of the lid. From the former closure of the box only a pair of brackets has survived. Apart from that, the condition is relatively good, there is only a small crack on one of the bulges on the lid. The box is now in the Milan Cathedral Treasury. The projecta box and the silver reliquary from Thessaloniki should be mentioned as comparative objects from the same era.
Description and interpretation of the scenes
It should be noted that the interpretations for the scenes are very controversial in research.
cover
Two divided scenes with a dominant upper part with a figure enthroned in the middle. This is aligned frontally, the feet rest on a suppedaneum, the left hand rests a codex on the left knee, the right hand in a speech gesture, it has a short hairstyle, a nimbus and a tunic with clavi as well as a pallium and campagi. Left and right flanking two people in tunics and pallium, facing the enthroned. The left hand holds the right hand towards the enthroned in a gesture of speech. The right man holds his pallium in front of his chest, he has a full beard and a bald head. In the background nine other people also in tunics and pallium. In the lower part on the left side five baskets and on the right side six jugs. According to Greaven and Morey et al. a. as a teaching Christ between the apostles , according to Buschhausen as Christ among the apostles in the type of the multi-figure philosopher image , according to Bréhier as Christ blesses the bread baskets and amphorae , according to Wilpert as the Hard Speech of the Eucharist , according to Grabar as the underlying epiphany theme and according to Zovatto and Cuscito as Maiestas Domini can be seen.
front
Figure enthroned in the middle, with half-length, curly hair falling down, a tunic with an orbiculus on the right shoulder, chlamys, campagi and a Phrygian cap. His face is turned to the person flanking on the right. His hand raised in front of his chest also turns towards him. His left hand rests on a codex lying on the raised leg. The person flanking on the right is bearded while the person flanking on the left looks youthful without a beard. Both have their hands behind their backs. They each wear a short-belted tunic and the flanking one on the left is a hint of boots. Behind each of the flankers stands a man in Phrygian costume with tight leg trousers, a short tunic and Phrygian hats ruffled up on the sides. The one on the left is bearded. The one on the right, on the other hand, has half-length curly hair. Only one hand and one arm of each can be seen. The rest is covered by the flankers. Behind them four other people in Phrygian costume, with curly hair and chlamys. This scene is illustrated by Hans Graeven and Morey et al. a. seen as Daniel judgment , by Aristide Calderini and Wolfgang Fritz Volbach as Joseph and his brothers and by Ottino della Chiesa as two Christian martyrs .
back
Enthroned in the center is a woman with feet resting on the suppedaneum, in a tunic and palla over her head, with a naked child on her lap. They are aligned at frontal. However, the child tilts his head towards the flanking one on the right. The two flankers are wearing flat bowls, have wildly curly hair, are beardless, dressed in long tunic exomis and have bent knees with a view of the child. Behind each three people in Chlamys. The person on the far right in the picture is hinting at a sign. According to Graeven and Morey et al. a. Here we have a scene of the worship of magicians , after Calderini and Venturi the adoration of the shepherds , after Giordani Maria and the baby Jesus between angels and after Buschhausen the discovery of Moses .
Left side wall
Centrally enthroned with feet on the suppedaneum, facing the front, wearing tunics with orbiculus, chlamys, campagi, diadem and scepter. He holds the scepter in his left hand. The right hand is open in front of the chest. In front of him stand two women in tunic and palla on the left and right, with the palla on the right one not on her head. Both are leaning forward with their arms stretched out in a band-wrapped figure in the middle in front of the end of the throne. In the background six people can be seen in tanks, chlamys and with shields. The second from the right holds a naked child who appears to be floating away by the forearm with his left hand while he strikes with a sword in his right hand. This scene is unanimously accepted as the judgment of Solomon in scholarship.
Right side wall
You can see 4 almost frontal figures. You seem relatively moved. The first, second and fourth from the left are very similar in that they all wear boots, tight-fitting trousers, a belted short tunic and Phrygian hats. The second and fourth have their arms raised in front of their chests. The third wears a short-belted tunic with orbiculus, chlamys and campagi. He holds his right hand diagonally down into the picture with the palm of his hand facing the viewer. With the left hand, he grips the end of a stick placed crosswise in front of him. He has short curly hair. This scene is almost unanimously interpreted in research as youths in the fiery furnace with the heavenly being . However, here Kirsch sees the Three Magi before King Herod and Mély wants to see the Annunciation to the shepherds here.
literature
- Helmut Buschhausen: The late Roman metal scrinia and early Christian reliquaries. Catalog. Vienna 1971.
- Verena Alborino: The silver box from San Nazaro in Milan. Bonn 1981 (Habelt's dissertation prints. Classical Archeology Series, Issue 13)