Tomb of Cardinal Matteo d’Acquasparta
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Authors
Giovanni di Cosma; Pietro Cavallini, attributed to
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Keyword
Funerary monument , Tomb , Cardinal
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Abstract
On the left side wall of the transept in Santa Maria in Aracoeli in Rome is the early fourteenth-century tomb of Cardinal Matteo d’Acquasparta (1240–1302). The design and construction of the tomb are attributed to Giovanni di Cosma (d. c. 1305) or his workshop. It is considered one of the few funerary monuments from this period that has remained in its original location.
The upper section of the tomb features frescoes depicting the Virgin enthroned between Saint Matthew and Saint Francis, who presents the kneeling Cardinal. Above them is a benedictory Saviour within a clipeus. These frescoes are attributed to Pietro Cavallini (1250–1330) or his workshop.
The lower section consists of a chest supporting the bier, which holds the sculptural effigy of the Cardinal dressed in his robes. Traces of red polychrome paint in a faint patterned design remain visible on the lower part of the robes. The effigy is surrounded on three sides by a curtain held aloft by two angels. The bier's base is adorned with four coats of arms representing the Cardinal, with a fifth coat of arms positioned on the gable. Notably, the tomb lacks the panegyric inscriptions commonly found on funerary monuments from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, which typically celebrated the deceased’s titles and achievements. This absence is unusual, as other tombs from Giovanni di Cosma’s workshop often include the names of both the deceased and the sculptor.
The monument shows evidence of structural damage, including cracks in the canopy, which may date to the 1349 earthquake that affected the church or to later modifications during the seventeenth century when the sacristy and the nearby Chapel of the Santo Bambino were constructed. Further changes to the lower sections likely occurred during the reign of Gregory XIII (1572–1585), when the transept was raised by approximately three steps, or 0.6 metres. The tomb has likely remained unaltered since the seventeenth century.
Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
Description
Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Rome
Citation
Haude Morvan, “Le tombeau du cardinal d’Acquasparta à Santa Maria in Aracoeli à Rome,” Arte medieval 7, no. 1 (2008): pp. 95-104; Laura Russo, Santa Maria in Aracoeli (Rome: Ellio de Rosa editore, 2007), 84, 91; Rosella Carloni, “Le tombeau du cardinal d’Acquasparta à Santa Maria in Aracoeli à Rome,” in Roma Anno 1300, ed. Maria Romanini Angiola (Rome: L'Erma di Bretschneider, 1983), 643-649; Skip Conde, “Santa Maria in Aracoeli,” Churches of Rome, http://www.churches-of-rome.info/CoR_Info/SMA%20043/043-Santa%20Maria%20in%20Aracoeli.pdf