Tomb of Guglielmo Durand
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Authors
Giovanni di Cosma
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Keyword
Funerary monument , Tomb , Mosaic , Bishop
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Abstract
In the far-right corner of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome is the Gothic tomb of Guglielmo Durand, Bishop of Mende (c. 1230–1296), signed by the sculptor Giovanni di Cosma (d. c. 1305). The tomb features a mosaic depicting the Virgin and Child flanked by Saint Dominic and Saint Privato, identified by inscriptions within the mosaic. Bishop Durand is shown kneeling before them in an act of devotion. Saint Privato, the first Bishop of Mende, reinforces the monument’s connection to the bishopric. The tomb is further adorned with coloured stone elements representing Durand’s coat of arms.
During a re-fitting of the church in 1670, the funerary monument was relocated to its current position. At this time, the angels supporting the tomb were moved slightly forward and placed on foliate brackets, a repositioning that revealed their structural function. One scholar has suggested that the move may have been prompted by damage to the tomb, though the precise nature of this damage remains unclear.
Traces of surviving polychromy on the tomb indicate that it was originally more extensively decorated, aligning with patterns typical of Arnolfo di Cambio's designs and Roman tomb decoration of the period. These remnants offer a glimpse into the monument’s original vibrancy and aesthetic.
Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
Description
Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome
Citation
Padri Domenicani, Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva (Genova: B.N. Marconi, 2022), 18; Julian Gardner, "Arnolfo di Cambio and Roman Tomb Design," Burlington magazine 115, no. 844 (1973): 438; Skip Conde, “Santa Maria sopra Minerva,” Churches of Rome, http://www.churches-of-rome.info/CoR_Info/SMsM%20071/071-Santa%20Maria%20sopra%20Minerva.pdf.