Orvieto Cathedral: the low reliefs--page 5 (of six pages)

Lorenzo Maitani
1310-1330 CE






The six pages include the following:
page one: exterior views, rose window, mosaics
page two: bronze Evangelists' symbols (Maitani); 20th century bronze door
page three: pillars one and two: stories from Genesis and Messianic prophesies (Maitani)
page four: pillar 3: New Testament events--life of Jesus (Maitani)
page 5: pillar 4: Last Judgment
page 6: interior views; Gentile da Fabriano fresco


The fourth pillar with the Last Judgment

The bottom left depicts the resurrection of the dead while the damned are represented on the bottom right.
 

Left: the Resurrection of the dead; center and right: the damned in hell

An angel holds the damned back. Right: Satan is shown, his head circled by snakes while his hands are wrapped by the tails of two dragons as he tramples on the damned.
 

Center: the blessed guided into Paradise; right: the damned bound and led into hell by a hairy devil

The ridge below their feet seems to indicate the enclosure of hell with the demonic creature populating the area below them.
 

Details of the agonized faces of the damned

 

Upper rows with the saved

 

Upper rows with the saved, the saints, the apostles, Mary and John, with Christ the Judge at the top center and trumpet-blowing angels at the top corners



Continue to page 6.

Works Consulted:
Anna Caprespa. The Cathedral of Orvieto. Sesto Fiorentino: Casa Editrice Perseus, n.d.
Eraldo Rosatelli. The Cathedral of Orvieto: Faith Art Literature. Perugia: Quattroemme Srl, 2000.


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© 2005 Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site), scanned, and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.

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