Tomb of Cardinal Pietro Stefaneschi
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Authors
Paolo da Gualdo Cattaneo
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Keyword
Funerary monument , Tomb , Cardinal , Sarcophagus
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Abstract
In the Chapel of the Sacred Heart in Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome is the tomb of Cardinal Pietro Stefaneschi (1360–1417), sculpted by Paolo da Gualdo Cattaneo (b. c. 1380), who signed the work as Magister Paulus on the epitaph. The tomb is situated above the vault where the Cardinal’s remains are interred.
The sculpted effigy of the Cardinal rests atop the sarcophagus, with the epitaph flanked by two coats of arms separated by twisted columns. Above the figure is a canopy adorned with a decorative strip of red, black, and gold mosaic. The Cardinal’s robes, pillow, coats of arms, and various other details are embellished with painted red floral motifs.
Originally located on the right nave wall near the altar of Saint Peter, the tomb was moved in 1584 to its current position on the left transept wall. During this relocation, the monument was reduced in size, and modifications were made to the altar and the tomb of Cardinal Philip of Alençon, situated to the left of the altar. Scholars suggest that in its original form, the tomb likely featured a gabled canopy and possibly included angels pulling back curtains to reveal the Cardinal’s effigy.
Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
Description
Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome
Citation
Dale Kinney, “Managed Memory in S. Maria in Trastevere,” in Monuments & memory : Christian cult buildings and constructions of the past : essays in honour of Sible de Blaauw, ed. Mariëtte Verhoeven et al. (Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2016); “PAUL from Gualdo Cattaneo,” Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana fondata da Giovanni Treccani 81 (2014), https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/paolo-da-gualdo-cattaneo_%28Dizionario-Biografico%29/; Skip Conde, “Santa Maria in Trastevere,” Churches of Rome, http://www.churches-of-rome.info/CoR_Info/SMT%20009/009-Santa%20Maria%20in%20Trastevere.pdf.