The ancient Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore has more to offer beside the wonderful mosaics, the Cosmatesque floors and a legendary history, it also keeps a little hidden treasure.
In the underground museum, accessible from the first door on the right hand side of the Basilica, beside a small treasure made of precious objects for the celebrations, like chandeliers, books and gold-embroidered clothes, in a niche in the wall stands a group of small statues, made of white marble, about 50-60 cm (2 ft) tall. The little statues, which resulted from examining by the experts to have been detached former high reliefs (two of the Magi Kings are still attached to a special backdrop made of painted marble), while the rear sides of the figures are made of a much coarser craftsmanship compared the the rest of the works.
It is also interesting to note how St. Mary's Statue has a very different style from the other characters: at a closer glance, it looks like a Renaissance artwork; this is partially true, because the statue has been modified in the 16th Century, possibly to repair some damage suffered by the artwork, as proved by closer examination of the faces of the 2 characters, whose imperfection shows that is not a brand new sculpture, but a modification of a pre-existent one.
This artwork, made by the famous Florentine sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio in 1291 AD, is considered to be the first "non-live" Crib (Nativity Scene), after that the custom of the Crib was ontroduced by San Francesco from Assisi, earlier in the same 13th Century, using real people and live animals to make the Nativity Scene.
Related Link: http://viewsofrome.blogspot.com/2011/08/miracle-of-snow-birth-of-basilica.html
In the underground museum, accessible from the first door on the right hand side of the Basilica, beside a small treasure made of precious objects for the celebrations, like chandeliers, books and gold-embroidered clothes, in a niche in the wall stands a group of small statues, made of white marble, about 50-60 cm (2 ft) tall. The little statues, which resulted from examining by the experts to have been detached former high reliefs (two of the Magi Kings are still attached to a special backdrop made of painted marble), while the rear sides of the figures are made of a much coarser craftsmanship compared the the rest of the works.
It is also interesting to note how St. Mary's Statue has a very different style from the other characters: at a closer glance, it looks like a Renaissance artwork; this is partially true, because the statue has been modified in the 16th Century, possibly to repair some damage suffered by the artwork, as proved by closer examination of the faces of the 2 characters, whose imperfection shows that is not a brand new sculpture, but a modification of a pre-existent one.
This artwork, made by the famous Florentine sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio in 1291 AD, is considered to be the first "non-live" Crib (Nativity Scene), after that the custom of the Crib was ontroduced by San Francesco from Assisi, earlier in the same 13th Century, using real people and live animals to make the Nativity Scene.
Related Link: http://viewsofrome.blogspot.com/2011/08/miracle-of-snow-birth-of-basilica.html
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