One of the things easily forgotten about Italy is that the modern state of Italy is just that -- modern. Previously in its history, what we know as the state of Italy today was a conglomeration of city-states (Florence, Venice, the Papal States, the Kingdom of Sicily, etc.)…
The Byzantine Church of San Pietro in Otranto
One of the things easily forgotten about Italy is that the modern state of Italy is just that -- modern. Previously in its history, what we know as the state of Italy today was a conglomeration of city-states (Florence, Venice, the Papal States, the Kingdom of Sicily, etc.)…
The Construction of a Solemn Liturgical Occasion in St. Peter's Basilica in 1900
Many of our readers will be familiar with scenes of canonizations from the Vatican prior to the 1970's. They include the Roman tradition of red festal hangings, suspended chandeliers, and all the majesty and solemnity that counter-reformation Catholicism could muster, s…
The Late Gothic Altarpiece of the Master of Ravenden in Jakobskirche, Rabenden, Germany
The late gothic altarpieces of Central Europe have always been one of my favourite types of altarpiece. They are generally filled with colour and life, they are ornamental (rather like gingerbread tracery on Victorian era home) and in many ways these qualities remind me of …
A Solemn Set of Vestments in Rose from 1725-1750
For one reason or another, rose coloured vestments always have a great deal of interest surrounding them. These days, people tend to think of only limited shades of this colour, but in historical reality, there was quite a variety ranging from light pinks, orangey-pinks, co…
Contemporary Vestment Work: A Distinctive Set of Gothic Revival Vestments
I thought I would take a brief moment to share a set of vestments I have been intending to share for some while now, coming from Altarworthy , a proprietor of sacred vestments based out of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. Altarworthy has a particular, but not excl…
Proposals for the Altar of the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe
Recently on social media we shared some images of the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe located in Ravenna. The photos in question showed the high altar of the basilica both with and without a ciborium over the altar. These images spurred on a great deal of conversa…
The Chapel of the Crucifix in the Duomo of Monreale in Palermo, Sicily
The Duomo of Monreale is renowned for its beauty. In fact, one might even say it is overwhelming in its beauty. However, what one mainly thinks of when talking about this great cathedral is the Italo-Byzantine art of the main cathedral. However, there are other gems to be …
The Byzantine "Sakkos": It's History and Some Antique Examples
An element of Byzantine liturgical vesture that has always interested me is the "sakkos" which is effectively akin to a dalmatic in its shape, but not in its liturgical symbolism because of the fact that in the Byzantine East, it is used exclusively by bishops. In…
A French Vestment Exhibition in Honour of the Grand and Historical Eucharistic Procession of Angers
In 2011 an exhibition of vestments and other objects of sacred art was held in commemoration of the grand tradition of the Eucharistic procession of Angers, France, known as the "Grand Sacre d'Angers." This particular occasion was known, not just in Anjou, not…
Details From Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki
The church of Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki, Greece is a seventh century church that has seen and lived quite a bit of history. It has seen the pre-schism church, it was subject to the iconoclasm the eighth century, it has undergone conversion into a mosque under the Ottoman…
Polish Made Vestments by Vestum
The Polish tailor Vestum produces liturgical vestments, mitres, fabrics and other sewn items for the sacred liturgy. Vestum's portfolio is substantial, with many commissions from across the globe. Their custom creations come in many styles, including conical chasubles. …
Before and After: St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Mason, Texas
Our friends over at Studio io informed us of a project they undertook (in collaboration also with Murals by Jericho ) at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mason, Texas. The church itself was actually quite old and quaint, as can be seen here in this photo below of the exterior,…
Glories of the Renaissance: A Set of Vestments from 1517-1526
Vestments from the Renaissance period are typically characterized by the richness of their materials, frequently employing ornate silks and velvets in bold patterns. In addition, figurative embroideries of Christ and the saints also tend to feature prominently. Today we are…
The Fading Art of Hand Embroidery
An unfortunate practical reality of our time is that hand embroidery, while not a lost art per se, is for all intents and purposes a rather unobtainable one. It is not that it is actually unobtainable, but hand embroidery on the scale of previous centuries is difficult to …
Medieval Remains: Stone and Mosaic Work of the Duomo di Salerno, Site of the Relics of St. Matthew
Polychrome stonework has to be one of the highlights of any church architecture for me, particularly when it is of the early medieval variety and attached to balustrades, ambone, paschal candlesticks and the like. These are typically today seen as architectural remnants, pr…
The Byzantine Monastery of Gelati in Georgia: Echoes of East and West
Today I wanted to take a brief stop at the Gelati Monastery, an early twelfth century structure which is located in a country that we've never had an occasion to feature before, Georgia -- specifically, Kutaisi, Georgia. This particular monastery complex was built unde…
The Newly Reprinted Missale Romano-Monasticum
One of our readers kindly brought to my attention the fact that the 1934, Pustet edition of the Missale Romano-Monasticum has been reprinted by the Benedictine monks of the Monastery of Norcia . The Missale Romano-Monasticum is the traditional liturgical book of the Benedict…
St. Charles Borromeo's Instructions on the Chasuble
It was during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, the estimable "Pope of the liturgy," that interest began to arise in the revival of chasuble shapes taken from the Renaissance age, this after he was seen using such shapes within some of his own papal liturgical…
Before and After: St. Matthew's Church in Shullsburg, Wisconsin
In yet another installment that, rather than "before and after" we might also very well call "why ornament, pattern and colour matters" we turn your attention today to the parish church of St. Matthew in Shullsburg, Wisconsin. This is yet another examp…
Passion Sunday in the Vatican Basilica: Statio Ad S. Petrum
In the Roman Missal the 5th Sunday of Lent, Passion Sunday has as its station Mass San Pietro in Vaticano, St. Peter's Basilica. On this day the canons of the Basilica's Vatican Chapter sing Vespers of Passion Sunday (now Second Vespers of the Fifth Sunday in Lent) …
A Rare Pre-Reformation English Vestment of Purple Italian Velvet
Recently I came across the following chasuble which came up for auction in 2014 (and sold for the shockingly low price of £2,250 GBP) which is thought to date from the end of the 1400's or early 1500's. The main body of the chasuble is made from a purple Italian ve…
A Reconstruction of the Lost Church of the Holy Apostles at Constantinople
In the past we've discussed here the lost Eastern Roman church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. We have already detailed, albeit at a very high level, the general historical background of this particular church in a previous article , but the reason for this parti…
The Revival of Beuronese Imagery by Markell Studios (Stillwater, Minnesota)
There is an artist in Minnesota by the name of Nicholas Markell of Markell Studios who is reviving the cherished style of Beuronese art that originated at the Archabbey of Beuron in Germany. This school of art was born from German Benedictine monks in the nineteenth century…
Sede Vacante: The Custodian of the Conclave
The Papal Court was heavily involved in aspects of papal liturgies, including the rites surrounding the death and burial and mourning for recently deceased Roman Pontiffs. The rare images seen here give a precious insight into the court dress of the Court, namely the heredi…
The Unfinished, Yet Magnificent Cathedral of Beauvais
Guest Article by Ishmael Obinna Adibuah Upon entering the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Beauvais, also known as Beauvais Cathedral, one might not realize that the present church is unfinished. Such is the mystery of this unfinished High Gothic cathedral, which was once the ta…
The Reredos: A Brief Survey
The Caeremoniale Episcoporum (according to the ancient Roman rite) specifies that where an altar is setup immediately against a wall, or close to it, an ornamental 'altar screen' may be set up behind the altar. This could come in the form of a dossal or it could al…
The Transformation of a Gymnasium into a Chapel in Maryland
Not so very long ago, we wrote an article about the impressive transformation of a dining hall into a chapel . That particular bit of coverage roused a great deal of interest as it helped to show the liturgical potentiality that can be found, with a bit of creativity and a l…
The Cotta Griccia: How it Was Stored in Sacristies
Rome lore remembers well the old cotta griccia. In hushed tones senior prelates have relayed the story of how these rochets and albs were laundered back in the old days in the Vatican, soaked in starch, pressed in a special grill to make the intricate pleats, and rolled to …
Considerations of the Upper Chapel of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris
Looking at what is, arguably, the crown jewel of French gothic, the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, today, is a little bit like looking at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (or Istanbul if you prefer); it is lofty, impressive, and beautiful, and yet at the same time,…
The Tiaras of the Popes: Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII reigned as pope from 1878 until 1903, the fourth longest serving pope in history. He was known as the pope of the Rosary for reason of his frequent mention of this particular devotion, but he is also well known for his promotion of the revival of Thomism (the …
A Survey of Some Baroque and Rococo Pulpits
Baroque and Rococo pulpits are one of elements of baroque churches which I always find of particular interest. Overall, this is something quite "fantastical" about the way in which they are presented. Some come in the form of ships, others are encrusted with winds…
An Alb Made by St. Bernadette of Lourdes
The lace apparel on this linen alb was hand embroidered by St. Bernadette Soubirous. In those years she was living at the motherhouse of her order, the Convent of St. Gildard of the Sisters of Charity of Nevers, located in Nevers, France. A beautiful place that is today sti…
Rugo Stone Design and Fabricate a Cosmatesque Influenced Altar
St. Mary, Help of Christians, located in Aiken, South Carolina, was a project that was completed by McCrery Architects in 2014, partnering with others firms such as Rugo Stone . (It was a project I wrote more generally about back in December 2017 in an article, Early Roman …
A Modern Workshop Producing the Scarce Art of Polychromed Leather Antependia
In a previous article we touched on some of the gilt leather antependia being produced by Lutson , a family owned and operated business operating near Lourdes, France. Their workshop has been producing polychromed, gilt leather for many decades now, offering various designs …
Three Medievally Inspired Altar Frontals by Sir Ninian Comper
In the realm of altar frontals, there are a few different styles, but within a Catholic context typically if one sees frontals at all, one will either see a Roman style of frontal (typically stretched onto a frame and which employs gold galloon) or, less commonly, one will …
Vestments of St. John Vianney, Curé of Ars
At the museum in Ars, located in the former rectory of St. John Vianney, is located a room with a sample of his vestments. In addition, his cassock and altar missal can be seen here. Some of the items include a chasuble, cope, alb, surplice, preaching stoles, and even his o…
Interesting Images of Liturgical Ceremonial and Art from a Medieval-Renaissance Era Codex
Recently I came across a rather interesting manuscript that shows various images of medieval/renaissance liturgical life, treasure and dress. In addition to these primary benefits, there is also something particularly evocative about the style of the drawings (at least in m…
Lesser Seen Vestment Works of the English Gothic Revivalist, Sir Ninian Comper
Certain works of liturgical art are frequently seen, published repetitively, over and over, and the works of Sir Ninian Comper are no different in this regard. We often see certain select works coming out of his catalogue of work, but beyond that we are treated to very litt…
Notes on the Gremiale
The 'gremiale' is one of those rarely seen liturgical textiles -- rarely seen because it's use in modern times has primarily (but not exclusively) been limited to the context of solemn pontifical occasions such as the solemn pontifical Mass. This was primarily …
A Quick Survey the Work of Konrad Perathoner of Consilium Domum Deo
Konrad Perathoner is a 55 year old artist and sculptor who presently lives in Rome and whose work can be found by way of Consilium Domum Deo - Koni . What particularly drew our attention to his work are the monumental sketches of altars and altar pieces, remarkable in their…
Another Repurposed Space Turned into a Chapel in Tyler, Texas
Awhile back we shared news around the transformation of a former dining hall to a beautiful chapel . That project involved the efforts of, amongst others, Little Way Construction . While researching that piece, I came across images of another similar sort of project they were…
