Sepulchre of Saint Catherine of Siena
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Statue , Saint , Saint Catherine , Tomb , Saint Catherine of Siena , Conservation
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Abstract
Beneath the main altar of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome is the Sepulchre of Saint Catherine of Siena (1347–1380), featuring a marble statue of the Saint atop a marble plinth, completed in 1430. The plinth is richly decorated with gilded angels and vegetal designs flanking a 1579 epigraph. Saint Catherine, a Doctor of the Church and the Patron Saint of Italy and Europe, is commemorated in this tomb, which was commissioned by Saint Antoninus of Florence during his tenure as Prior of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. The sculpture was previously attributed to Isaia da Pisa (1410–1464). Notably, in 1385, Saint Catherine's head was given to the people of Siena by Blessed Raymond of Capua.
The tomb underwent conservation treatment during the Holy Year 2000, returning it to its original state by removing polychrome paint and plaster applied in 1855, when Saint Catherine’s remains were relocated to the church’s high altar. The 1855 modifications included the addition of flesh tones to her face and hands, the transformation of her clothing into the white tunic, black mantle, and white veil of a Dominican tertiary, and dark red paint applied to the two pillows beneath her head. A metal crown and necklace, added as votive gifts, were also part of these later additions.
The cited study, “Saint Catherine of Siena's Tomb and its Place in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Rome: Narration, Translation and Veneration,” offers insight into how the multiple relocations of Saint Catherine’s remains—occurring five times since her death—have reflected evolving practices of veneration from 1380 to the present.
Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
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Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome
Citation
Padri Domenicani, Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva (Genova: B.N. Marconi, 2022), 21; Joan Lloyd, “Saint Catherine of Siena's Tomb and its Place in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Rome: Narration, Translation and Veneration,” Papers of the British School at Rome 83 (October 2015): 111-148.