The polished stone known as malachite is a very rare sight in Rome. It can be seen in the Vatican Basilica with the altar built over the tomb of St. Peter in the Clementine Chapel of the Vatican Grottos. It can also be seen on two altars at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside …
Malachite Decorations in the Vatican
The polished stone known as malachite is a very rare sight in Rome. It can be seen in the Vatican Basilica with the altar built over the tomb of St. Peter in the Clementine Chapel of the Vatican Grottos. It can also be seen on two altars at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside …
Take a Guess: What Colour is This Set?
What colour is this set of vestments do you think? Is it a blue Marian set? Is it a kind of green? I suspect if most people were to look at this set, the natural inclination would be to call it blue, and indeed, it certainly appears like that. It is not blue, however; it is…
A Catechism for Penance: The Spectacular Carved Baroque Confessional of Andrea Fantoni
Today, we are going to take a look at a rather stunning baroque confessional that is found in the Cathedral of Bergamo, Santa Maria Maggiore. The confessional was carved from walnut by Andrea Fantoni between 1704-1705,, being originally commissioned by Canon Giovan Pietro M…
Nobility in Stone at St. James Catholic Church in Falls Church, Virginia
Few things are more eye-catching and noble in solid ecclesiastical design than proper use of stone and specifically marble and Rugo Stone (working in collaboration with architects at O'Brien and Keane ) recently put in place a very good example of its potentialities for …
A Survey of Some Recent Work of the Spanish Vestment Atelier, A&M Ornamentos
For those who are in the market for vestments according to the Spanish tradition, you may want to look no further than A&M Ornamentos , a company based out of the city of Pontevedra situated in Galicia in the northwest of Spain. The Spanish style is very unique, comprise…
Metalcraft from the Philippines
It is always impressive to see on display the metal craft creations that are made in the Philippines. This traditional artisanal craft has been preserved in few places and takes the right tools and training. The creations include a variety of items, such as statues and thei…
A Selection of Italian Trompe l'Oeil Altarpieces
We have spoken quite a bit here about altarpieces, be it carved wooden altarpieces, polychromatic marble altarpieces, gilt altarpieces and so on. However, there is also another kind of "altarpiece" we have yet to have truly addressed here. What we are speaking ab…
Magnificent Example of Twentieth Century Italian Vestments
The Museo del Tesoro of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi has this magnificent set of Italian vestments on display. Such a fortuitous inheritance we have! The set was manufactured in Italy in the twentieth century. The reliefs are embroidered in polychrome silk threads …
The Stunning Restoration of St. Luke, St. Lucas, Iowa
In this memorable period of our history when so many lovely old churches are being restored, we thank our good friends at Conrad Schmitt Studios for the important role they are fulfilling. The growing list of churches they have saved brings to mind the pages of an ancient c…
A Visual Meditation on the Crucifixion in Vestments for the Beginning of Lent
As we find ourselves now at the beginning of Lent, it seems like a good opportunity to meditate on this season by sharing a few chasubles that prominently use crucifixion scenes within their orphreys. Some of these examples come in violet, another in rose, thus fitting the…
A Sixteenth Century Spanish Set of Vestments from the Cathedral of Segovia in Spain
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Fructus in Segovia, Spain, is host to a great number of treasures, beginning with the architecture of the cathedral itself, down to a plethora of sculpture, tapestries, liturgical books and precious vestments. It is the l…
The Abbey Basilica of San Miniato al Monte
The Minor Basilica and Abbey of San Miniato al Monte (St. Minias on the Mountain) is located in the city of Florence, built high on top a hill with a panoramic view of that storied Italian city. The basilica is, in point of fact, considered one of the premiere examples of t…
Dal Molin Stefano: Introducing an Italian Iconography Studio, Workshop and Supplier
If you are interested in the tradition of iconography, a tradition that has common roots in both East and West, then one studio and workshop you may wish to bookmark for your future reference is Dal Molin Stefano & C. SRL . This particular studio is situated in Italy, or…
Gebetsliga Chasuble by Ditta A. Gammarelli for the Emperor Karl League of North America
The Emperor Karl League of North America have collaborated with the Roman atelier, Ditta A. Gammarelli , to offer 00 by way of their own store -- a selection of vestments made by the atelier, and as part of their announcement about this new collaboration, they also shared a …
An Embroidered Rochet from the Late Seventeeth or Early Eighteenth Century
The Cleveland Museum of Art has an interesting object within their collections which belonged to a late seventeenth or early eighteenth century prelate. Now the Museum itself identifies this as being the alb but there is a question here about the accuracy of that designatio…
Romanitas: The Instructio Clementina and Eucharistic Banners Announcing Forty Hours Devotions
Forty Hours devotions -- or Quarant'ore -- are traditionally done during the period before Lent, often from Quinquagesima Sunday to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It is during this period of preparation that the Blessed Sacrament would be exposed for an extended peri…
More Liturgical Curiosities: Another Set of Gilt Leather Vestments
Over the past months we've introduced our readers to the rather unique liturgical art of leather-based paraments. We have show some of the antependia that have been done -- including by contemporary workshops like Lutson , a company based in France who, to this day, stil…
FSSP In Urbe: Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini
The church of the Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini (Most Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims), is the FSSP parish in Rome. It is well positioned in the historic centro storico , near to the Ponte Sisto and the Palazzo Spada. Baroque in design, it dates back to the early 17th cent…
Before and After: Carmel of the Holy Spirit in Littleton, Colorado
I ntegration Design Group (as well as Conrad Schmitt Studios) were recently involved in a beautification project at the Discaced Carmelite Monastery in Littleton, Colorado. This project involved updates to a mid-twentieth century chapel. The chapel itself had apparently unde…
Ethiopian Liturgical Art at the Cathedral in Emdibir (Including Iconography of Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II)
While we've covered Byzantine, or Eastern Roman, Christian art, that is, of course, not the sole expression of Christian liturgical art in the East. One of the more unique expressions and traditions of the Christian East is the liturgical art of the Ethiopian church and…
Better Approaches to Medieval Y Orphreys on Roman Pianetas
As the gothic revival took hold in the second half of the nineteenth century, one of the interesting things we can observe is how some started to take some of this medieval revivalism and sought to apply it to sacred vestments. We saw, at certain points, a revival of the fu…
Saint-Étienne-du-Mont: The Last Rood Screen in Paris
One of the most remarkable churches to visit in Paris is Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. Ideally, everyone with an interest in sacred liturgy should visit this absolutely stunning liturgical space. Inside is an actual rood screen, designed beautifully in a most creative way.
Book Review: The Great Sacred Music Reform of Pope St. Pius X by Dr. Patrick John Brill
One of the most important church documents a Catholic should read is the motu proprio, Tra le Sollicitudini . It was issued by Pope St. Pius X in 1903, shortly after he ascended the papal throne. This document marks the official beginning of the reform of the liturgy that ha…
